Secrets She Keeps
by ToTheMoonAndStars
Summary: After centuries, Jasper finds his mate—Bella's estranged sister, but there's something different about Meadow Swan, something off. Meadow, herself, is miserable & homesick—but for her adoptive home; the Xavier Institute. It doesn't seem like she'll be returning anytime soon. Stuck in Forks, it's only a matter of time before her two lives collide & it's nothing like anyone expected.
1. Chapter I

Logan sighed heavily as he made his way down the girl's hallway, passing a hand through his jet black hair. After a good half hour of yelling, he had finally finished chewing out Cyclops with promises of a week of meal cleanup and with threats of X-Jet cleanup. He was tempted to turn around and continue the lecture, but he had other things to take care of. A certain person to see.

Approaching the closed door, Wolverine rapped lightly on the dark brown wood with his knuckle, his brown eyes narrowing when he received no answer. He knocked again, placing his free hand on the shiny gold doorknob.

"Doe?" he called in his gruff voice, "M'coming in, so ya better be decent, kid!"

He waited a moment and then opened the door with caution, to make sure that the girl wasn't hiding somewhere ready to jump out and attack. Though he knew the girl would never hurt him, or anyone, without a defensive motive, she was in a weird state right now and he needed to be cautious.

Scott had been trying to unlock another ability to branch out Meadow's empathy in order to make her powers more offensive and "useful" to the team, but it hadn't worked. Meadow wasn't ready and Scott had pushed too far. The results had been destructive, landing Evan in the Medbay when Meadow had another one of her 'temper tantrums' and caused Evan to feel so much distress that he passed out. It took both Jean and the Professor to calm Meadow down to the point where she wasn't at risk to hurt herself or others.

Walking further into the room, he finally saw her. She was sitting in the very far corner of her single bedroom, her back against the wall. She was still in her Danger Room uniform, her curly brown hair still pulled into a French plait. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as she rocked back and forth, her eyes pinched shut and her breathing heavy.

The tense atmosphere caused him discomfort, but he pushed past it and exhaled through his teeth, moving to kneel in front of the teenager. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but thought better of it, allowing it to drop back down to his side.

"Doe?" he uttered softly, "Meadow?"

Meadow whimpered and shook her head, "I-I'm f-fine, Lo—g-give me a…m-minute," she rasped meekly. Her body trembled, "I-I…need a m-minute."

"Look at me, Doe," Logan encouraged, "C'mon, kid, open your eyes. You're going to hurt yourself."

It was a moment before Meadow was able to obey, but when she allowed her eyelids to flutter, she revealed large blue eyes with slightly dilated pupils.

Logan nodded in approval, "There, good. Now, take a deep breath and focus on me. Keep eye contact and tell me what emotion I'm projecting."

Meadow forced her eyes to remain open and locked on Logan's guarded brown orbs. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled shakily through her mouth, latching on to Logan's emotional signature.

"S-safety," she whispered, after taking a second to concentrate, "And care."

Logan nodded again. Besides Professor Xavier, he had spent the most time with Meadow when she had first arrived. In fact, he had been the one to literally drag her inside the mansion kicking and screaming when she was thirteen. She had even tried to bite him.

Now Meadow was sixteen and much more stable. She was thin, but muscular with the body of an athlete. She had large blue eyes, and curly brown hair that fell in ringlets to her lower back, when she allowed it. She had a widows peak and stood at 5'2 with moderately pale skin and full lips. A perfect mix of her parents from the family photo he had seen when Cerebro had first tracked her to Phoenix, Arizona.

He watched as she broke eye contact with him and leaned her head against the wall, still taking deep breaths.

"How's Evan?" she asked quietly, her voice still weak.

Logan smirked, "Conscious. Don't worry, he's fine. He was very impressed..." he grumbled incoherently, "Stupid kid."

Meadow snorted, the faintest of smiles twitching her lips, "I bet he was. That's so Evan."

Logan made a sound of agreement and his facial expression turned more serious, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her body tensed and she shook her head, "No thank you."

He sighed again and scrubbed a hand over his face, "Doe…"

"Stop!" Meadow cried, slapping her hands over her ears.

A large wave of anguish caused Logan to grit his teeth and he resisted the urge to unsheathe his metal claws. He clenched his fist when his hand started to shake and took a deep breath of his own, speaking though clenched teeth.

"You want to hurt your family, kid?" he ground out, "That's what you wanna do, then? Hurt them?"

Meadow flinched at Wolverine's bluntness and she opened her eyes to look at a spot on the glossy hardwood floor, giving a small shake of her head.

"Then control yourself," Logan demanded, "'Cause your sister, your father, and whomever else you run into, ain't gonna be able to withstand your powers like we can. Especially if you have a tantrum or start projecting too much. Do ya' understand me?"

When Meadow didn't answer, Logan grasped her wrists and ripped them away from her ears.

"Do you understand me!?" he growled.

"Yes!" she cried, "Yes, okay, I understand. I get it."

"Okay," Logan relaxed and let go of Meadow's hands, "Yer gonna have to use everything you've ever learned here to maintain that type of control, unless you want your father and sister-

"Stop saying that," Meadow interrupted harshly, "She's not my sister and he's not my father. Don't say that."

Logan made a sound of annoyance deep in his broad chest. This was not in the job description of being an X-Men and he was not in the mood to deal with any more pestering problems. He was already planning to escape on his bike. Maybe he'd pummel a few boulders or hunt down Sabertooth. Go for a drink, probably.

"Fine, kid, whatever," he finally said, climbing to his feet, "Now, do you want to mope around and keep wallowing around in denial or do you want to come outside and join the others by the pool?"

She frowned, "The pool?"

"After that disaster, Chuc—Prof thought you kids could use a break," Logan told her, "But that means double sessions, tomorrow. Even for you. So rest easy, tonight."

"Great," she bit her lip "Lemme change first and I'll be right down."

Logan nodded and ruffled Meadow's hair, "See ya' downstairs."

Her eyes remained on his retreating form and she hesitated before she called out, "Logan?"

He didn't turn all the way around, but he did turn his head, flicking his eyebrows up to indicate that he was listening.

"Thanks," she said with a gentle smile, "I appreciate it…you."

Logan raised an eyebrow, muttered something under his breath that Meadow couldn't hear, then left, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

Meadow giggled at the look of awe she swore had been on the gruff man's face and she waited for his footsteps to fade before she rose from her corner, steadying herself by leaning a hand against the wall. She was still drained. She closed her eyes for a second, then walked over to her wardrobe and opened the doors, standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf.

The swimsuit she pulled off the self consisted of a pair of black boy shorts and a dark emerald bikini top that looked more like a sports bra.

Tears welled up in her bright eyes as she stripped off her uniform. It had been a bad idea for the Professor to tell her that she would be moving to Forks, Washington right before a Danger Room session. Though the room itself was almost indestructible, the students and machines were not.

"I already hate Forks," she rumbled to herself angrily, "I hate Bella, I hate Charlie, and I hate this whole stupid thing!"

Soon, the tears in her eyes made it impossible to change and with her uniform still around her ankles, she managed to stumble over to her four-poster bed and flop down face first.

She reached out blindly in front of her, until her hands brushed against something soft. It was a simple dark brown and tan teddy bear and she squeezed it tightly, feeling comforted by its presence. She was a little old for toys, but the plush animal had been a gift from Storm her second day at the mutant school and it was something Meadow cherished greatly.

Meadow rolled onto her side and hugged the bear to her chest.

"I don't want to go," she whispered to the bear. She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear escaping, "God, this is awful."

Flashback:

 _A_ _thirteen year old_ _Meadow was curled up on the light magenta couch, her hands over her ears as she sobbed brokenly and screamed until her throat was raw_ , _drowning out the sounds of her mother's shouts_.

" _I don't_ _ **know**_ _what's wrong with her_ ," _Renee shrieked into the mouthpiece of the phone_ , " _If I knew_ -" _she turned suddenly to see her other daughter peering around the corner, her brown eyes wide and frightful_.

" _Mom_?" _Bella choked out_ , _bursting into tears at the sight of her sister_ , " _W_ - _what's going on_?"

 _Renee ignored the other voice on the phone and blinked once before she started screaming again through her own sobs_ , " _Charlie_ , _what did I say_!? _Take Bella upstairs and make sure she_ _ **stays**_ _there_!"

 _Charlie rushed down the stairs and as soon as he got close enough_ , _tears welled up in his chocolate brown eyes_. _Renee had called him two days ago_ , _saying that he needed to get on the first flight to Phoenix_. _Something was wrong with Meadow_ , _but when he arrived_ … _this had been the last thing he was expecting_. _He had figured something like pneumonia or possibly even cancer_ , _but not_ … _insanity_.

 _Charlie grabbed Bella's hand, his grip slick with sweat_ ," _Come on_ , _Bell_ ," _he tried to keep his voice from shaking_ , " _Let's go upstairs_ , _honey_."

 _Just as Charlie began to lead Bella from the room_ , _he stopped dead in his tracks_ , _his_ _hand_ _falling limp in hers_. _A peaceful expression appeared on his face_ , _a content sigh bursting from his lips_. _Bella wasn't in a much better state_ , _her eyes dull with the same amount of contentment and harmony_.

 _Through her tears_ , _Meadow could see the same thing happening to her mother_. _Renee's entire body relaxed and the phone fell from her fingers to land on the hardwood floor_ , _the battery falling out in the process, disconnecting the call_.

 _Meadow opened her mouth to let out another scream_ , _but when she did so_ , _the overwhelming pain in her head seemed to lessen until it was nonexistent and she lay in the same position_ , _stunned_. _She had suffered from the same migraine for over a year and nothing ever made it stop_. _She had been subjected to shots in her head and every type of medication available_. _Doctors had started_ _becoming_ _desperate_ , _throwing around words that didn't even sound_ _part o_ _f_ _any human_ _language_.

 _She lowered her hands and sat up_ , _her body_ _still wracked with hiccups as she struggled to catch her breath_. _She pulled her disarray of curls into a messy ponytail and wiped her nose on her sleeve_ , _as she got_ _up from her spot on the couch_.

" _M_ - _mom_ ," _she hiccuped_ , _choking on a sob_ , " _Dad_? _B_ - _Bells_?"

 _She reached up to touch her mother's face_ , _her hand shaking until she pressed it against Renee's cheek_. _The woman's skin was warm and she looked to be breathing_. _So_ , _why was she standing still like that_?

 _The sound of the front door unlocking echoed like an explosion in the eerily quiet house and Meadow jumped_ , _biting her lip hard enough to draw blood in order to_ _hold_ _in her gasp_. _No one besides her_ , _Bella_ , _and her mother had a key to the house_. _Renee didn't even give Charlie one when he had first arrived_.

 _Someone was breaking in_.

" _Mom_ , _we have to go_ ," _Meadow choked out_ , _more tears spilling over_. _She yanked on Renee's sleeve_ , " _M_ - _mommy_ _we have to hide_ , _come on_."

 _The front door opened_ , _and this time_ _Meadow did let out a gasp_ , _rushing away from her mother and into the kitchen_. _She hesitated_ , _taking note of the surroundings before she ran to the cabinet where they kept canned goods and cereal_ , _squeezing herself inside and shutting the door_ , _wincing when it creaked_.

 _She brought a hand up to cover her mouth_ , _forcing herself to hold in more sobs_. _Tears dripped down her face_ , _but she couldn't wipe them away for fear of being discovered_. _Over the loud sound of her heartbeat and shallow breathing_ , _she could hear footsteps and some other noise_. _It was a quiet whirring and she couldn't place it with anything that she might have heard before_.

" _Meadow_?" _a kind female voice called_ , " _Are you here_?"

" _She's here_ , _Storm_ ," _a soothing male voice replied_ , " _She's hiding in the kitchen cabinet_. _Why don't you get her_? _Though I warn you to be cautious_ , _she'_ _s_ _frightened_."

 _Meadow pressed her hand tighter against her mouth to hold in another sob and she tried to scoot further in the cabinet_ , _praying that a magic dark hole would somehow appear and swallow her up_. _With her father being a cop_ , _she was aware of what happened to children who were kidnapped_. _Awful_ , _horrible things that gave her nightmares and she hoped whoever these people were_ , _would kill her quickly and leave the rest of her family alone_.

" _Meadow_?" _came the female voice again_. _It was closer this time_ , " _Meadow_ , _it is all right_ , _child_. _I know you are frightened_ , _but we mean no harm_ , _young one_. _We're here to help_. _We are friends_."

 _Meadow shook her head, though she knew she couldn't be seen_. _That was a big lie_. _She didn't have any friends_. _She had been pulled out of school when she was eleven because of migraines and mood swings_. _She didn't leave the house much after that_ , _spending a majority of her time at the doctor or resting in bed._ _She wasn't even_ _close to her mother or Bella who were obviously attached at the hip_. _They grounded each other_.

 _A knock at the cabinet caused her to jump and cry harder_. _She let the sobs come out_ , _now_. _There was no point in trying to be quiet_ , _she had been found_.

" _Ah_ ," _a cry came from outside the cabinet and Meadow could hear footsteps stumbling backwards before bumping into something_.

 _The sound of rain that followed the loud clap of thunder did nothing to help the situation as it pounded violently against the house_. _It never rained in Phoenix_. _That must mean that something really bad was about to happen_.

" _Concentrate Storm_ ," _said the man_ , " _It's her mutation_ , _she can't help it_."

" _Okay_ ," _Storm breathed_ , " _Okay_ …"

 _The rain ceased and Meadow found herself holding her breath as she looked around the cabinet_. _The door was still closed_ , _but there was no other way to escape_. _She was still waiting for the magic black hole_.

" _Meadow_ ," _Storm said_ , _slower_ , " _Child_ , _I am going to open the cabinet now and we'll sit down and talk_. _Just us_. _I know what's going on_. T _here are other people like you and we can help_."

 _The cabinet opened and Meadow tensed_ , _preparing herself for the worst_ , _but the person she saw_ , _startled her and she blinked a few times_ , _making sure that her eyes were well adjusted_.

 _The wom_ _an standing across from her was beautiful_. _She had dark skin and strikingly white hair that had Meadow doing a double-take_. _She had never seen anyone with white hair_ , _who wasn't old_ , _and this woman clearly was not_. _Her bright blue eyes were youthful and warm_ , _her pink lips holding a smile_.

" _Hello_ , _little_ _one_ ," _she said warmly_ , " _My name is Ororo and you're Meadow Swan_ , _correct_?"

 _Meadow brought her fists up to rub away her tears and she nodded with a sniffle_ , " _U-uh-huh_."

" _It doesn't look very comfortable in there_ ," _Ororo said_ , _holding out a hand_ , " _Would you like to come out_?"

 _Meadow shook her head frantically_.

" _No_?" _Ororo asked_ , " _Are you sure_? _We can talk and explain what's going on_. _I'm sure you've noticed some pretty odd things happening lately_. _I bet you feel alone and isolated_ , _ostracized and strange_ ," _She knelt down so that she was eye-level_ , " _I know a girl not much older than you and she suffered from headaches when she first acquired her powers_."

 _That got Meadow's attention and she was sure that her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline_ , _her mouth falling open as she_ _struggled_ _for words_.

" _Powers_?" _she gasped_ , _her voice clogged with tears_ , " _Like_ … _turning invisible a-and flying_?"

 _Storm chuckled_ , " _Yes_ , _something like that_ , _minus the invisibility_. _Would you like to see_?"

 _She watched Meadow ponder her words and Storm closed her eyes for the shortest of seconds in order to gather he_ _r wits_. _It was hard for her to look_ _a_ _t Meadow crammed into the cabinet and there was no way Storm could go in there after her_ , _due to her crippling claustrophobia_.

" _C-can I see_?" _Meadow asked quietly_ , " _But I'm not moving_!" _she cried_ , _drawing her knees up to her chest_ , " _I'm staying here_!"

 _Ororo sighed heavily_ , " _Very well_. _Listen_."

 _Meadow watched as Ororo titled her head back slightly and raised her hands_. _A cloudy white fog seemed to go over Ororo's eyes and Meadow jumped at the sound of thunder_ , _the rain resuming its ferocious downpour_.

" _Y-you're doing that_?" _she asked weakly_.

 _Storm came back to herself and blinked_ , _the rain_ _stopped and her eyes returned to normal_. _She nodded with a smile_.

" _Yes_ , _child_ ," _she answered_ , " _I control the weather_."

 _Meadow's eyes widened_ , " _All the time_!?"

" _No_ ," _Storm chuckled_ , " _Not in that manner_."

" _Wow_ …" _Meadow breathed_. _She blinked a few times_ , _her eyebrows drawing together_ , " _But_ … _h-how-how did you do that_?"

" _If you come out_ , _I can tell you_ ," _Storm promised_ , _extending her hand for the second_ time, " _What do you say_?"

 _After taking a moment to think_ , _Meadow nodded and allowed the older woman to pull her to her feet_. _Going back into the living room_ , _she saw a bald man with brown eyes_. _He sat in a custom made silver wheelchair_ , _the wheel-rims designed to look like_ ' _X_ ' _s_. _He had a hand to his temple_ , _but when he saw Meadow_ , _he lowered it_.

" _Ah_ , _hello_ , _Meadow_ ," _he greeted with a smile_ , " _It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance_. _My name is Charles Xavier_."

" _Hel_ — _m-my family_?" _Meadow asked_ , _looking at her mother_.

" _They're safe_ ," _Charles promised_ , " _I've put them in an illusion to help calm things down_. _I'll_ _bring_ _them back after we've had a chance to talk privately_. _It will be less stressful that way_. _I am not here to steal any of your belongings_."

 _Meadow took a step back_ , " _How did you know_ …?"

 _Charles closed his eyes, placing another hand to his head_.

' _I can read minds_ ,' _Meadow gasped at the voice inside her head_ , ' _I'm a telepath_.'

 _When he opened his eyes_ , _Meadow looked up at Storm_ , _who nodded in confirmation_.

 _Meadow looked back and forth between the two adults and she pointed to herself_ , " _And_... _I'm one of_ _**those**_ _too_?"

 _Charles laughed softly and shook his head_ , " _Not quite_ , _my dear_ , _but you do have a very powerful gift_. _Let's sit_ , _shall we_?"

 _Meadow hesitated_ , _but with an encouraging_ _nudge_ _from Ororo_ , _she walked over to reclaim her seat on the couch_ , _her heart still racing with fear and eyes trained on her family_.

End Flashback:

After that, Professor Xavier and Storm began to calmly explain to Meadow what her powers were. She was an Empath. A powerful one.

At the time, she had been unconsciously projecting her emotions and feeling others. Which explained the mood swings and migraines. Her brain was too overwhelmed with it all—short circuiting. The two mutants stated that Professor Xavier ran a special type of school—a boarding school for people like her. Mutants, to be more specific. There, she could learn how to control her gift, become comfortable with it, and even enhance it. She had the potential, Professor Xavier had told her, to become great and use her powers to help others and be good. Yes, she wanted that. Meadow wanted _so_ badly to help people and make the pain in her head stop. So, she had agreed to go with them to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters as the youngest and third student, after people named Jean Grey and Scott Summers.

What happened after that? Well, Meadow was _still_ trying to convince the Professor to erase that part of her memory, but he refused.

To sum it up: her family had gone ballistic. Yelling until their faces turned purple, threatening to call the cops, and calling Meadow names like 'sick' and 'freak', saying that she needed serious hospitalization to help her. It was to the point where Xavier had no other option than to erase their memories, reappearing and stating that they were a special school for children like Meadow. Renee had assumed that it was a disciplinary school and had warned the two that Meadow was prone to explosive tantrums.

Meadow was bitter and papers were signed, shipping her off to Bayville, New York the next day. She had another one of her tantrums when Storm had pulled up to the mansion and thinking back on it, Meadow laughed at the memory of attacking Logan. The little thirteen-year-old her had felt abandoned by her family and betrayed. She was a freak and completely devastated, her powers uncontrollable and unsafe. Logan definitely had his hands full when she had first arrived.

But now, Meadow couldn't imagine her life any other way. She was incredibly happy. She had friends…a family. Though she would never say it out loud, Logan was like a father to her. The Wolverine always complained that being around Meadow, Rogue, and Kitty was starting to make him soft, but it was just for show and everyone knew it; even him.

With the help of Professor Xavier, she had been able to attune herself to the other students emotional signatures and found out that she got along well with them. Especially Kitty and Rogue, much to everyone's surprise. They were an odd-looking trio.

The goth in particular was like a sister to Meadow and when Rogue had finally switched sides from the Brotherhood, the two spending time together had been very frowned upon. Rogue's emotions were dangerously intense and too much for Meadow to handle, but overtime, she learned to filter them out and they often spent time together, bonding over their uncontrollable powers, interest in music and their hatred of crowds. It was great.

" _Doe_ , _get your butt out here_!" a voice shouted, pounding loudly on the door, " _I'll phase through and you know I'll do it_!"

Meadow snapped out of her thoughts and she sat up quickly, "H-hold on," she said, loud enough for Kitty to hear, "I'm changing."

She placed her teddy back where he belonged and removed the rest of her uniform before she hurried to change, pulling off her undergarments and struggling to get her arms and legs through all the correct holes in her bathing suit. Finally, she jammed her feet into a pair of black flip flops and tried to catch her breath.

"I just set a world record," she whispered to herself, brushing a strand of hair back into place. She looked at the door, "You can come in now."

Kitty Pryde phased through the door, dressed in a bright pink bikini that showed off her petite and slender figure. Her long brown hair was in its usual ponytail, layers framing her face. Her light blue eyes narrowed and she giggled.

"Like, what's taking you so long?" she questioned, going to sit on the bed, "Mr. Logan came downstairs, like, ten minutes ago or something and said you'd be right down."

Meadow eyed Kitty for a minute, "…I was reminiscing…"

Kitty bit her lip at Meadow's tone, "Oh. Like, sorry for interrupti-

"It's fine," Meadow cut off with a sigh, "It's not like _they_ remember it."

"They?" Kitty questioned.

Meadow shot her a look, "You know exactly who _they_ are, but it's not like anyone else cares, because I'm being sent back and _no one_ -

An all-to-familiar fog clouded Meadow's brain and she dug her teeth into her lower lip and closed her eyes, gripping her vanity mirror for support.

"Kitty?" Professor Xavier came into the room, "Would you excuse us for a moment, please?"

"Sure," Kitty whispered, sparing Meadow one last glance and a smile before she left the room.

"Meadow-

"I'm busy," Meadow snapped. Feeling awkward standing in only her bathing suit, she went back to her wardrobe and pulled out one of her sweatshirts, pulling it over her head, "You know, I have a lot to do. I have to _pack_."

Professor Xavier's eyes softened when Meadow's voice cracked and he could tell that she was on the verge of spilling more tears.

"I am not doing this as a form of punishment," he promised her, his fingers steepled in front of him, "In fact, I'd prefer it if you stayed here, but that is not up to me. I am not your legal guardian."

Meadow huffed, plopping down on her bed, arms crossed over her chest. Stupid Renee. She had called the institute and talked to the Professor about wanting Meadow to go down to Forks to live with Charlie and Bella. Apparently, it would be good for both of them and Bella needed her sister around because she was "struggling with the move."

Meadow had refused, of course, stating that she never talked to Bella or Charlie. They only called to talk to her when it was _about_ Bella. The last phone call had been when Bella had run away because of some guy and fallen down two flights of stairs. Meadow had spent two hours consoling her parents and convincing a heartbroken Charlie that she was sure Bella still loved him. They both did.

She had another one of her tantrums that night and had broken one of the Professor's antique vases.

Despite Meadow's refusal to go to Forks, Renee had become desperate for her two girls to be together and pulled the minor card, taking Meadow out of the institute and enrolling her in Forks High school.

"This is a waste of everyone's time," she growled, "This is going to make me hate them even more than I already do. This is my _home_ , Professor. What about missions, training, the Brotherhood?"

Professor Xavier placed a hand on her knee, "If we're in dire need of you, we will come find you and if things get too bad, you can come back."

Meadow shook her head, covering her face with her hands, "Professor, this is my _life_ and now I have to completely uproot it to go and hide? With people who don't even—I can't be myself there, I can't—I'm so scared."

He moved to place a hand on her shoulder, "I know, my dear, but remember what we are here for. To one day hope that we can all exist peacefully in the same world. Humans and mutants, those who are different. Perhaps this will be a step in that direction. It will be hard, and a test of your control, but I have faith in you, Doe. One of us will always be in constant contact with you."

Meadow's shoulders shook. The world wasn't ready for mutant exposure yet, she knew and she was terrified that she would slip up and expose them all for what they really were.

"Do not make your family's past mistakes think that you are a monster," Xavier said, frowning at Meadow's thoughts, "You are gifted and will one day use your powers to help them."

He battled back the intense wave of sorrow. Meadow had made tremendous progress with her time at the institute and had learned to accept her gift; developing a stronger psyche. She kept things tranquil and calm around the large mansion, but still battled with her extreme sensitivity at times. Her gift was much harder to control when it was so easily influenced by others.

"Stay with me, Meadow," he told her firmly, looking up when the window began to shake, "Do not give up because you feel as though your world is falling apart. You're here to control your powers, not to let them control you. You _know_ this."

Meadow forced herself to take another deep breath, removing her hands from her face. After a minute, she straightened her posture, her eyes still closed and the window still. She would need to meditate.

"That sounds like a good idea," Xavier encouraged, "Would you like me to get Storm?"

"No thank you," Meadow smiled weakly, "I've got it. Thank you, Professor."

He returned the smile, "You're very welcome, but before you meditate," he turned to look at the closed door, "I believe a certain team leader, has something he would like to say to you."

* * *

A hardside suitcase was hauled down the large grand staircase along with a matching carry-on bag and Meadow stayed where she was, watching sadly. She had said most of her goodbyes the day before and then proceeded to bawl her eyes out until she fell asleep. That was the perks of having a single room, she could feel her emotions without worrying that she was going to project and affect someone else.

"Don't look so down, fräulein," Kurt popped right next to Meadow in a cloud of smoke and a faint scent of brimstone. He grinned and wrapped a furry arm around her shoulders, "S'not goodbye forever."

Meadow leaned into Kurt's touch. It wasn't forever, but long enough. If she really had to stay in Forks until she was eighteen, that was almost two years.

It took her longer than that to finally trust those who had first been members of the X-Men. She never talked to her family. They had no idea what the institute really was and their relationship with Meadow had been severely strained because of memories only she could recall.

"Doe..." Storm said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Sorry," Meadow mumbled. She took a deep breath, sending out a large wave of calm, "There, is that better?"

"Ja, much," Kurt breathed.

Kitty's lip trembled and she ran forward, tackling Meadow in a hug, "Oh, Doe!" she wailed, "I'm going to, like, completely _die_ without you here!"

Meadow chuckled, though she felt the same. She was nowhere near as girly and preppy as Kitty, but somehow, the two made the friendship work.

"We'll talk on the phone all the time," she promised, "I'll let you know if I see any cute boys in Forks."

Kitty laughed through her tears, "O-okay."

"This totally bites!" Evan moaned, "C'mon man, who else is gonna board with me?"

Meadow perked up, "I bet I can come back during the summer. It won't be long. Apparently, it's important that I move schools for three months," she quipped sarcastically.

"It won't be so bad," Jean promised, grabbing Meadow's hand and pulling her down the stairs, "Try to have a better attitude. Think of it as an opportunity to learn and grow."

Meadow hid a snicker when Rogue scoffed and rolled her eyes. She knew how her best friend felt about the redhead. It was a strained relationship.

"You'll always have a place here," Scott said with a grin, "Your room will remained untouched."

"Unless I get cold at night and need an extra blanket," Kitty chirped.

"Go for it," Meadow smiled and then bounced over to Rogue who was twirling her white bangs around a black-gloved finger.

Meadow sighed dramatically and met eyes with Rogue, "I think I'll miss you most of all, Scare-

"Cute," Rogue snapped, her accent thick. She rolled her eyes again, "Obviously Ah can't hug yah, but Ah got yah somethin'. Kahnd of. Here."

Meadow's eyes widened at the worn out paperback. It was Rogue's copy of 'Dracula.'

"Why would you give me this?" she questioned softly.

"If yah don't want it then give it back!" Rogue snapped.

"I didn't say that!" Meadow snapped back. She winced and did her best to calm Rogue down, reaching out and placing her hand on Logan's shoulder to keep herself steady, "I love it Rogue, really I do. Thank you."

Rogue's shoulders relaxed and she nodded stiffly, "Yer welcome, Ah guess..."

Meadow returned the nod, knowing that was as emotional as Rogue was going to get.

"One more thing, Emp," Logan said, using her abbreviated code name. He pulled something out of his pocket, "Think fast."

Meadow caught it with one hand easily and she smiled at the cold piece of technology. It was a sleek black cellphone. Much like she had seen the guys and Rogue carry.

"I told them you didn't like pink," Evan piped up, clapping Meadow's shoulder.

Meadow turned to smile at him, "Thanks for having my back, Spyke."

"And all of our numbers are programmed into it," Scott told her, "The house phone is on speed dial."

"This is the best," Meadow could feel herself getting emotional and she pocketed the device, "Thanks, guys."

More hugs and parting words were passed around and just as Meadow pulled away from Jean, Logan cleared his throat, his watch beeping obnoxiously.

"Ready to go, Emp?" he asked.

"No," Meadow said, turning to him, "I'm not ready."

But even with that answer, Meadow knew that she had to be. After saying more goodbyes and hugs, she reluctantly followed Logan out to the car.

* * *

"You have a sister!?" Alice cried.

Bella nodded sheepishly. She occupied one of the couches of the Cullen home, while Carlisle looked over her leg and other injuries. Hopefully, she'd be able to get the cast off soon and transition to the boot. Then she'd be able to actually walk without stumbling over her crutches and falling down all the time—more than usual.

"Her name's Meadow," she said.

Emmett wrinkled his nose, "Meadow?"

"My mom was going through a hippie phase at the time," Bella explained with a sigh, "I think she goes by Doe now? I'm not sure."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Edward demanded, looking hurt.

Bella shrugged, "It never came up. She's...away at some special school and has lived there since she was twelve or thirteen."

"You don't like her," Jasper said. It was a statement, not a question as he picked up on her emotions.

Bella's face flushed, "I don't know her well enough. We never talk. She doesn't talk to anyone in the family, really. Maybe Charlie sometimes?"

"So, she's estranged?" Carlisle asked, with a smile "It will be nice, then. To reconnect?"

"I hope so," Bella sighed, "Charlie's excited, but I don't think Meadow is."

"We'll make her feel welcome," Alice clapped her hands, "Don't fret, she'll love it here."

Edward's eyes flicked over to his favorite sister, but Alice pretended not to notice, a large smile plastered on her elfin face.

"You two have the same birthday?" Alice asked hopefully.

"No she's sixteen," Bella said, "Her birthday is in October. The twenty-second."

"Do you look similar?" Esme asked, watching Alice who was already party-planning in her head.

"I look more like my mother," Bella mumbled, picking at a thread on the couch, "But Meadow looks like both our parents. Her hair is curly, she has blue eyes, and she's shorter than me."

"A sister," Edward mumbled, "And you waited all this time to tell me…?"

"It wasn't a secret," Bella defended, "We haven't talked in three years. She sort of slipped my mind, but it will be nice to have her around. Another girl in the house," she smiled then, "We're picking her up at the airport, tomorrow."

Emmett grinned, his arms around Rosalie's waist, "If she's as clumsy as you, then she's welcome here anytime!"

Bella flicked her eyebrows up in response, leaning her head on Edward's shoulder. She could feel him tense underneath her and reached down to intertwine their fingers, giving his hand a squeeze. She didn't have to be a mind reader to know that he was worried about Meadow's arrival, wondering if her scent would be as strong and appealing as Bella's own.

* * *

 **A/N** : **I've never written a story on here**. **I'm usually on** **FictionPress** , **but I thought I would give it a shot! I hope you enjoy the story and please review. A big thanks to my Beta Reader Sabrina06 who helped tremendously.**


	2. Chapter II

Someone had just dumped their significant other and was bathing in a pool of regret and heartbreak.

A woman was ecstatic and impatient, waiting for someone to step off the plane, a sign clutched in her hands.

A child was curious, trying to escape the hold of his mother while he pointed at the baggage claim.

A nearby gate agent was irritated and tired, longing for his day to come to an end.

Meadow turned up the volume on her CD player and massaged her temples. A couple nearby glared at her, but she paid them no mind as she closed her eyes, trying to tune everyone out and focus. Peace. Tranquil. Serenity.

She took a deep breath, surrounding herself in a bubble of calm. Anyone who came within two feet of her would be subjected to it, but they wouldn't ask questions. No one ever did. Her gift was usually subtle that way and even those who really knew her sometimes had trouble figuring out if she was using her powers or not.

"Control," she whispered to herself, allowing her shoulders to relax, "Peace and serenity. You _know_ this, you've _lived_ this and you can-

A rough hand clapped down on her shoulder, causing her to jump, her CD player falling from her lap at the motion and unplugging her headphones from its jack.

She gasped and removed the headphones from over her ears, looking up at the person who had startled her. The man was of average size with dark curly brown hair and a mustache. His chocolate brown eyes were apologetic, but the jacket he wore caused Meadow to feel suspicious and she bent down to pick up her CD player. Had she done something wrong? Was she loitering? Had someone reported her for suspicious behavior?

"Good, it's not broken," she turned her attention to the man, "Is there a problem, Officer?" she asked politely. She looked around, "I can sit here, can't I?"

The officer's eyes widened and then he laughed, so hard that tears built up in the corner of his eyes.

Meadow smiled at the positive emotions and she wrapped up her CD player, putting it back into her carry-on bag. She battled the emotions back, trying to stay in tune with her own. Maybe this guy wasn't an officer. What police officer just… _laughed_ like that?

"Ahhh, that was a good one," the officer said, running a finger under his eye. He cleared his throat, choking on another laugh, "You really don't recognize your old man, Meadow?"

Meadow's face fell and she bit her lip. Oh, it was Charlie. She looked him up and down, pressing her tongue to the inside of her cheek. She supposed if she _had_ to pick, Charlie would be her favorite family member. She could no longer stand Renee and she didn't fancy Bella, much. She had always been pushed aside by her mother in favor of her older sister. Most people preferred someone who wasn't screaming all the time and having mood swings. Bella kept Renee grounded, Meadow just got in the way.

"Oh," she finally mumbled, "I guess I didn't recognize you. Hey, Charlie."

"Hey," Charlie echoed, with a slight frown. He was slightly put off the change of demeanor and the use of his first name as he had already gotten Bella to grow out of that habit when she first arrived.

Meadow sent out a burst of calm, unnerved by Charlie shifting on his feet. Peace. Tranquil. Serenity.

"You look good," Charlie said, relaxed, "Your hair looks longer."

"It is," Meadow fingered the end of her plait, "Thanks."

"Um, Bella couldn't come," Charlie started, "She and her friend—Alice, she's a really sweet girl, an angel she is—they're making up your bed and everything at the house."

Meadow blinked, "…Okay."

Charlie scratched the back of his neck, "Then I guess we should hit the road, huh?" he chuckled nervously, "Those your bags?" he gestured to the luggage.

"I've got them," Meadow slung her carry-on over her shoulder and grabbed the handle of the suitcase, tilting it on its wheels, "Thanks, though."

As his youngest began the trek to the car, Charlie struggled to keep up. He noticed that she kept her eyes forward, but they constantly took in her surroundings. She never tripped or faltered in her quick steps, pulling her luggage like it weighed no more than a feather.

"You in a hurry?" he joked.

Meadow shook her head and slowed her steps. She was used to walking fast from not only Danger Room sessions, but trying to be the first one to the bathroom in the mornings. Most of the bathroom time was taken up by her, Kurt, and Kitty wrestling and using their powers to try to get there first. The cycle continued as they tried to get to the breakfast table and shotgun in Scott's car. She chuckled at the fond memories.

"What's funny?" Charlie asked.

Meadow looked at him, her smile falling, "Thinking. I'm used to walking fast at home."

Charlie pressed the button on his key fob to pop open the trunk of his police cruiser, "There are a lot of kids there?"

She shrugged, placing her things in the trunk, "Six."

Charlie whistled lowly and opened the passenger door before he jogged around to his own side and got in, trying his best to strike up another conversation.

"Hope you don't mind the rain," he said.

She shrugged with a sigh, placing her cheek in her hand as she inspected her nails, "Guess not. It's not like I have a choice."

He nodded and cleared his throat awkwardly, changing the subject once more, "You painted your nails. They look good!"

"Kitty painted them," Meadow mumbled. She wrinkled her nose, running her thumb over the glossy polish, "I don't know why I let her. I hate pink."

Charlie sighed, "Okay Meadow, can you at least _try_ to have a good attitude about this? You're stuck in this car with me for a good hour and you're going to be living here, now. In _Forks_. Why not make the best of it?"

Meadow didn't respond, too livid at the suggestion. Right, _she_ was supposed to make the best of it. Her mother was only trying to ruin her entire life by taking her away from the only people who cared about her. The only place where she could be herself and where people actually spent time trying to get to know her.

"How about you tell me about these past few years?" Charlie suggested, his tone light, "Did you like school?"

She shrugged again, still picking at her nail polish, "I was in a few advanced classes. English, drama, and history."

"Really?" Charlie's eyes widened, "Did you do any after school activities? Drama club or any kind of sports?"

"No," Meadow answered, "I thought about doing soccer, but…it didn't happen."

"You didn't make the team?" Charlie asked, pushing a little.

' _That's not what happened_ ,' Meadow thought, ' _Jean didn't like the idea_. _**She's**_ _the soccer star_.'

She remembered the day she had ran the idea past Kitty. Her perky friend had been all for it—the uniforms were _totally_ cute, but then Meadow had sensed the worry and aggravation from Jean who was putting on a pot of coffee. There was an undertone of jealously and at that moment, the idea had flown right out the window.

"I had never played before," Meadow supplied shortly.

She put out more calm, stronger this time and she could see Charlie's shoulders sag and his grip on the steering wheel relax.

"Too bad," Charlie mumbled, "I bet you would have been great."

The assurance behind Charlie's words shocked Meadow and she turned to finally look at him. He was smiling, the corner of his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Lucky for you, I didn't pass down the clumsy gene," he chortled, "You don't have the curse like Bell and I. We trip over air."

Meadow managed a small smile, "Lucky me," she repeated, "It definitely comes in handy."

"Maybe you could try out here," Charlie suggested, almost hopefully, "The team is small and not very well-known, but they play well and could always use more players."

Meadow nodded. She knew nothing about Forks, Washington or their high school. Between her denial and power flares, she hadn't put much time into doing her research, but she had no plans to try-out for any type of team. She wasn't looking for any reason to stay.

When Meadow didn't verbally respond, Charlie tried again, "Your sister's really excited to see you. She's made a ton of friends and they want to meet you. Even her…boyfriend."

The way Charlie said 'boyfriend' peaked Meadow's curiosity and she arched an eyebrow. She hadn't heard much about the guy besides that time Charlie had called to tell her about Bella's accident. She didn't even know his name.

"His name's Edward," Charlie grumbled, "Alice is his sister. They're a big foster family, the Cullen's. Seven of them in total. Their father Carlisle is the Chief surgeon at Forks General. Took real good care of Bells when she had her accident. I think there's a set of twins? Yeah, and another son. Great family."

The fondness radiating from Charlie caused Meadow another small smile and she nodded again, though she was already sick of hearing about Bella.

"That's nice," she commented airily.

"They all go to Forks High too and you start tomorrow," Charlie said, "You can ride with Bella and Edward. He's been driving her and Alice."

Meadow rolled her eyes, letting her irritation be known, "Wow, can I? That'd be _great_!"

Charlie sighed at the fake enthusiasm. He never understood Meadow's hostile attitude towards the family and he had hoped that going to the special behavioral school would help mellow her out and help her get over the aggression. They were basically estranged and Renee pulling Meadow out of the special school only proved how much Meadow needed it. His attempts to pursue Renee to allow Meadow to stay had failed and now he had his youngest with him. He was happy to have her, of course, but it was clear that she was anything but. She was miserable and it didn't seem that she was open to trying to better their relationship.

"I want you to be happy here, Meadow," he said seriously, "And I'm sorry that this happened. Really, kiddo, I would send you back if I could. I know you were happy there."

Meadow relaxed, "I was," she told him softly, "And I don't plan on staying here for long. I'm going back home as soon as I can."

Charlie nodded. He supposed he could accept that even if it wasn't true, "That's fine and I can give you a ride to school tomorrow…if you want."

Meadow regarded him for a moment, "Okay. Thanks, Charlie."

Charlie smiled, more at ease, "You're welcome, honey."

They spent the rest of the ride in a calm silence and Meadow took out her CD player, planning to get in some more meditation before she had to go into the house.

Charlie's emotional signature was much more laid back and reserved. Currently, there was an air of apprehension and nervousness, but Meadow knew that was due to her and her unwelcoming attitude that would make even Logan proud.

The house Charlie eventually pulled up to was a small, two story with three bedrooms that had been bought in the early days of Charlie and Renee's marriage. The third bedroom had originally been for guests that never stayed and had easily been transformed into a nursery for another little girl.

Parked on the street in front of the house was a faded red truck, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab.

Meadow tilted her head to the side. She couldn't remember ever seeing that car.

"It's Bella's," Charlie answered her unspoken question, "Bought it off of Billy Black sometime ago. Remember him? He lives on the Reservation."

Meadow was still looking at the car, "I think so," she got out of the cruiser and looked around. Forests surrounded the house, their trunks covered with green moss as well as the branches. It was pretty, she supposed. Quiet.

"Am I allowed to walk around?" she asked, looking at Charlie, "Go in the woods?"

Charlie looked surprised, "I-I suppose?" he stuttered, "Just be careful. This isn't New York, we actually have animals out here. It's a lot different than the city that never sleeps."

"We don't really live _in_ the city," Meadow corrected, getting her suitcase out of the trunk. Neither one of her birth parents had ever visited the school.

"Well," Charlie said awkwardly, "Let's get you inside before this rain gets worse."

Meadow stood there for a moment and followed Charlie into the house with an air of unwillingness surrounding her. She just wanted to go upstairs, be alone, cry, call her family, and then meditate until she fell asleep. Tomorrow, was going to be a big day and she would need to prepare herself for the onslaught of emotions she would face and the strangers she would need to attune herself to.

"Bella!" Charlie called when he shut the door, "Bell, come in here!"

" _Up here_ , _Charlie_!" came a silvery-bell voice from somewhere in the house.

Charlie's face brightened, "Alice is still here," he said to Meadow, "Here, let me take your bags."

This time, Meadow allowed it and she walked slowly up the stairs, her hand trailing up the rail. As she got closer, she could hear voices talking excitedly and laughing.

She saw Bella first and failed to see the resemblance between them. The only thing they probably shared was their hair color and widow's peak. Other than that, Bella's hair was straight, her skin extremely pale. Her eyes were large and widely spaced, a unique chocolate brown color. She a heart-shaped face with a wide forehead, thin nose and prominent cheekbones. A white cast encased one of her legs. She was like a copy of Renee.

The girl who Meadow assumed to be Alice was very a beautiful person and extremely thin, as well as short. She had large gold eyes and her hair was cropped short, spiky, and inky black.

"Meadow!" Bella cried, standing up with the help of Alice. She grinned, "I haven't seen you in forever! Wow, you look so different."

When Bella made a move to hug her, Meadow took a large step back, shocking everyone.

"Meadow…" Charlie scolded, a disapproving frown on his face.

Meadow ignored the reproval and greeted Bella from where she was standing, her voice quiet and cold, "Hi, Bella."

Bella's eyebrows knitted together and she bit her lip, dropping her arms, "H-hi," she mumbled. She looked at Alice who had her own eyebrows drawn together, "Um, Meadow, this is my friend—my best friend, Alice Cullen."

Alice's smile was a little forced, but she bounced forward, "It's so _wonderful_ to meet you, Meadow. Bella's been telling my family and I about your arrival. It's lovely to have you here."

Alice's emotions were completely positive, radiating happiness and Meadow returned the smile, allowing herself to bask in them.

"Thanks, Alice," she said, slightly more chipper, "Oh, and thank you…for my room."

She looked around. The walls were painted ivory, the floor was wooden, and the ceiling peaked. An ivory curtain surrounded the window. The comforter was the same color and an old pine desk was against one of the walls. She even had a bedside table with a lamp and a work desk with a computer.

Alice's strained smile eased up a bit, but her forehead was still creased, "You're welcome. We weren't sure what colors you liked. So, we went with simple."

Meadow nodded, "Simple works. Thank you, Charlie, Bella."

"Y-you're welcome," Bella said, still uncomfortable.

After a tense silence, Charlie cleared his throat, "Girls, why don't we give Meadow some time to unpack? I'm sure she wants to get settled."

' _I'm not unpacking and I'll never get settled_ ,' Meadow thought. She caught Alice's intense gaze as the trio took their leave. The pixie-like girl broke eye contact first.

"I'll come check on you later," Charlie said, "Oh, and the bathroom right down the hall, last door on the right, near the stairs," with that said, he shut the door behind him.

Now alone, Meadow closed her eyes and leaked calm into every crevice of the bedroom, taking away the lingering remains of other emotions. She kicked her suitcase over with her foot and unzipped it. She picked out an outfit for school, consisting of a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved burgundy shirt, and a leather jacket courtesy of Logan for Christmas, one year and set them on her bed.

She removed her teddy bear, Rogue's book and her toiletries before she shoved her suitcase under the bed and worked on unpacking her carry-on.

The contents of the bag had TSA giving her weird looks and if it wasn't for her magic skills of "persuasion", she would have been pulled out of line and severely questioned for sure, but she had gotten on the plane scot-free with a smile on her face and things she shouldn't have had.

Inside the bag, was a single black lighter and a rainbow of large pillar candles. White, purple, lavender, blue, deep blue, rose, pink, and silver.

She set them all around the room and began the process of lighting them. She was much quicker now and had the room filled with a candlelit glow in minutes.

Breathing in the mixed scents, Meadow took her spot on the floor, folding her legs into the quarter lotus position. She elongated her spine and rested her palms atop her knees, letting the muscles in her shoulders and back relax. She tucked her chin and relaxed her jaw before allowing her eyes to close.

Peace. Tranquil. Serenity.

She stayed wrapped up in her serenity blanket of calm before she branched out, tasting the emotions that surrounded the house. She ignored Alice's, already attuned to her signature. People who were that positive were easy to accommodate. Those emotions caused her no distress for obvious reasons and she found no reason to manipulate Alice's emotions as of yet. There was a bit of worry, but that was understandable considering who she was currently with.

Then, she found Bella's and she had to force herself to remain in her calm state as she explored Bella's emotions. A faint lilt of determination was there as well as some anxiety and stubbornness. Love almost overwhelmed it, and filtering that out revealed some obsession.

Meadow shuddered at that and quickly returned to her own emotions, taking a deep breath. She would explore more of that, later. It wasn't often that she went into every emotion. She usually found the main one and focused on that, changing it if needed.

She cracked an eye open when there was a knock at the door, "Come in."

The door opened and Charlie's eyes widened at the sight, watering at the mixed scents.

"What's going on it here?" he demanded, walking further into the room.

"Meditation," Meadow closed her eye, "I learned it at school. It helps with my behavioral problems."

Charlie looked embarrassed, "Oh…well—right, yeah…those. Um, we're having leftovers for dinner. Bella's taking a break from cooking. You know, her injuries."

Meadow sighed, opening her eyes so that she could look at Charlie. It seemed that her meditation was over. Charlie looked so sad and his current emotions weren't much better. If the Professor was here, he would tell her to be the bigger person as he always did in their "sessions" to work on controlling her powers. Grudges only fueled anger and that in turn, fueled hatred and that was not going to help them create the world of equality that they all so desired.

"I…can cook," she said lamely, "Food…and…stuff."

Charlie floundered for a moment and he almost asked if the candle fumes were going to Meadow's head.

Meadow was already standing up and in the process of blowing out candles, "Do—you—have—any—fish?" she asked, each word punctuated with a few blows.

"Um," Charlie blinked, "Yeah."

Meadow was by her pine dresser and blew out the last four candles, "Fisherman's Soup, then? Is that okay? With mashed potatoes or something?"

"O…kay," Charlie said, dumbly, "Sure, that sounds great."

"Great," Meadow echoed, pushing past him, "I don't need help, I'll find everything."

She was gone before he could reply and Charlie went even further into Meadow's room and opened the window to let the smoke out. He had just gotten off the phone with Renee to inquire about Meadow's cold attitude, but even his ex-wife had no idea where the strained relationship came from, brushing it off as "just as phase" or "a cry for independence."

He thought otherwise, the cry for independence looking more like stubbornness and refusal to ask for help. Maybe he should look into finding her a therapist. He didn't know much about Meadow's behavioral issues, but perhaps a symptom was relationship troubles. Though from what he heard, she got along astonishingly well with the staff and students at her boarding school and he would bet money that they were the ones she was thinking of every time she gave a rare smile.

He had waited too long for both his girls to be together—Meadow didn't even come home for the holidays or answer his phone calls, but now that she was here—well, he had expected her to be upset, but not devastatingly cold and miserable to the point of causing others discomfort.

Much like his youngest daughter, it had taken him a moment to recognize her and the cold stare she had given him when he had revealed who he was, sent chills up his spine.

And he hoped, just like his other daughter, that Meadow would find something or maybe even _someone_ to make her happy and feel welcome in Forks.

Even if that something or someone wasn't him.

* * *

Back at the Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters, Rogue huffed blowing her bangs out of her face. She was annoyed that her bangs were long and in her face, but too short to accommodate the rest of her hair in its ponytail. Not only that, but Kitty was blabbing on the phone.

"Kitty!" she finally snapped, " _Who_ are yah talking _tah_!? It's ten o'clock!"

Kitty clicked her tongue and glared at her best friend, "Like, take a chill pill, Rogue. Hello, it's only seven o' clock in Washington!"

Rogue sat up abruptly, "Washington? Who're yah talkin' tah?" she repeated, her tone demanding.

Kitty snorted, "Who else, silly? Like, I'm talking to Doe. I tried to tell you, but— _hey_!"

Rogue had snatched the prissy pink phone from Kitty's hand and had it pressed to her ear as she went back to her bed.

"Rogue!" Kitty exclaimed, "That was totally not cool!"

"Hush up," Rogue turned her attention back to the phone, "Doe, is that you?"

" _Rogue_ ," Meadow gasped. She sounded like she had been crying, " _I wasn't going to call you until_ , _tomorrow_. _I thought you'd be sleeping_?"

Rogue rolled her eyes, "Yah know who mah roommate is don't yah?"

"Hey!" Kitty yelled, "I resent that."

On the other end, Meadow laughed, " _I miss you so much_!"

Rogue hesitated. She wasn't much for affection, "…Come back," she finally said. Yeah, that worked.

" _I want to_ ," Meadow moaned, " _Badly_."

"What's it lahke there?" Rogue asked, crossing her ankles, "Where are yah?"

" _Forks_ ," Meadow huffed, " _And it's_ … _wet and green and cold_. _Charlie is trying_ , _I guess_ — _he's_ _ **really**_ _trying_ , _but_ … _this isn't home_. _Not anymore_. _I'm surrounded by people I was hoping to never ever see again in my life_."

Rogue shook her head slowly, debating whether or not to add Renee Dwyer to the long list of people she hated. Taking Meadow out of the institute had been selfish and Rogue had yelled at both Xavier and Logan when the latter had returned from the airport for allowing it to happen.

"Leave," she said quietly, "That's what Ah would dah."

" _I can't just leave_ ," Meadow hissed, " _Charlie is the Chief of Police_. _He knows how to find people_."

"And yah know how tah manipulate every emotion there is," Rogue countered, "It shouldn't beh a problem, Sugah. It's _not_ a problem."

Rogue could tell that Meadow was contemplating. It was the only advice that she had to give as that's how she dealt with her own problems. By running away.

" _You're right, but_ …" Meadow said quietly, " _I-I don't know_ , _Rogue_."

Rogue shrugged, "It's an option."

"Rogue, give me my phone back!" Kitty demanded, throwing a pillow across the room, "We were talking first."

Meadow laughed, having heard Kitty's shout, "You guys need to learn to get along."

"Lahke that will happen," Rogue sniffed, "As if," she mimicked, in a perfect impression of Kitty.

" _You care about her_ ," Meadow said matter-of-factually, " _Even if it's only a little bit_. _She's one of your best friends_."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. Meadow's mutation really got on her nerves, sometimes.

"Yah have school, tomorrow?" she asked, deciding to change the subject.

" _Unfortunately_ ," Meadow said, " _It's small_. _Not even four-hundred people_."

"Give me that back," Kitty grabbed the phone and stuck out her tongue, "We were, like, having a conversation."

Rogue glared, but made no move to take the phone back. She knew Kitty would scold her like a parent for encouraging Meadow to run away, but she had long learned to tune the valley girl out.

"Rogue," Kitty called, laughing at something, "Doe says she'll, like, call you, tomorrow, kay?"

"Kay," Rogue echoed, adjusting her position under the covers. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, "Sounds great."

 _Flashback:_

" _You like Drum Eight_?"

 _The voice was soft and weak_ , _but the tone held surprise and excitement_. _Rogue looked up from the CD cover she had been inspecting to see Meadow standing in the doorway_. _The short teen had a small smile on her face_ , _her curly hair pulled back into its usual French braid_ , _and her skin was slightly paler than it should be_.

 _Rogue narrowed her eye_ s, " _Who wants tah know_?"

" _I do_ ," _Meadow said simply_ , " _I like them too_."

 _Rogue rolled her eyes_. _She had been with the X_ - _Gee_ — _X-Men for five days now and though it had been said aloud that she was part of the family_ , _she still felt like the odd one out_.

 _Finally_ , _she responded_ , " _Ah didn't really ask_ , _but thanks for yah lahfe story_."

" _You're welcome_ ," _Meadow shot back_ , _glaring_ , " _Are you done with your temper tantrum_?"

 _They stayed like that for awhile_ , _both glaring_ , _neither one speaking_. _It was only when Meadow let out a shaky breath and winced_ , _did Rogue relax_ , _a smirk on her face_. _Ha_ , _she won_.

 _But Meadow didn't relax and her breathing was strangled_ , _her hold on the door frame increasing_. _Much to Rogue's surprise_ , _the wood began to splinter_.

" _What the hell is wrong with yah_?" _Rogue demanded_. _The air became tense_ , _thick with something that Rogue couldn't identify and she began to choke on it_ , _her gloved hand going to her throat_.

" _S-sorry_ ," _Meadow choked out_ , " _W-wait_..."

" _What the heck is going on in here_!?"

 _It wasn't until her eyes flew open_ , _that Rogue realized she must have closed them_. _She came face-to-face with Scott and even with his shades on_ , _she could tell by the way his eyebrows almost touched his hairline that he was shocked by the scene_. _Someone else_ — _Wolverine or something_ , _had shoved Meadow away from the door and was supporting most of her weight as he led her away_. _The rest of the door frame fell apart with a crack_.

 _The tense air had disappeared and Rogue lowered her hand_ , _worried that her eyes would pop out of her head as she looked between the wood on the floor and Scott_.

" _You okay_ , _Rogue_?" _he asked worriedly_.

 _Rogue tried to keep the blush off her face at Scott's concerned tone and instead she huffed_ , _blowing her bangs out of her face_. _Though she would never say it out loud_ _for f_ _ear of reaction_ , _so far_ , _she trusted Scott more than anyone of the X-Men_.

" _Ah'm fahne_ ," _she glared_ , " _Someone bettah fix mah door_!" _she shouted_ , _with a stomp of her foot_.

 _Scott looked over and he chuckled_ , " _Yeah_ , _don't worry_. _It'll be fixed by tomorrow_. _I can guarantee you that_."

 _Rogue blinked_ , " _Yah make it sounds lahke this happens often_."

 _Scott sighed_ , _almost sadly and nodded_ , " _Yeah_ , _it does_. _She_ … _can't control her powers_."

 _Rogue frowned_. _She had been planning to yell and give more attitude_ , _but now she was distracted_. _What did the team leader mean when he said Meadow couldn't control her powers_? _From what she had heard from the Brotherhood_ , _Meadow had been with the X-Los_ — _X-Men for awhile_. _Shouldn't her control be perfect_? _And if it wasn't_ , _what did that mean for_ _Rogue_? _Was this whole place just pointless_?

" _She's been here almost as long as yah have_ ," _Rogue argued_.

" _Yeah_ , _but her powers don't work like that_ ," _Scott looked behind him and lowered his voice_ , " _See_ , _I have the glasses_ ," _he tapped the frame_ , " _And you have the gloves_ ," _he gestured_ , " _Doe doesn't have that_ … _blockage_. _Her powers are just_ _ **on**_ _all the time_."

 _Rogue pursed her lips_. _She didn't know Meadow's powers and she wasn't going to ask_. _She didn't want to pry and frankly_ , _she didn't want anyone to think that she cared_.

 _Scott sighed heavily and looked Rogue up and down_ , " _Are you sure you're okay_?"

 _Rogue's heart stuttered in her chest and sh_ _e_ _moved_ _a lock of hair behind her ear_ , " _A-Ah said Ah'm fahne_."

" _Okay_ ," _Scott smiled_ , " _I guess I should let the Professor know that we've got another cleanup_."

" _Well take this_ ," _Rogue held out the Drum Eight CD_ , " _She left it in here_."

 _He took it from her outstretched hand_ , " _Huh_ , _all right_. _Well_ , _I'll see you later_."

" _Mhm_ ," _Rogue hummed_. _She took a seat on her bed and pulled her headphones over her ears_ , _signaling the end of the conversation_.

 _End Flashback:_

It wasn't until days later that Rogue found out what was going on: Meadow was some type of special Empath and was greatly affected by Rogue's emotions. So that was that. She and Meadow were to stay away from each other at all times, but it seemed like they both didn't take to being told what to do, because they had broken that rule constantly even if they couldn't stand each other. More things were broken, they had each been grounded multiple times, and lectures were given, but eventually Meadow built up a slight tolerance and now, somehow they were best friends. Sisters.

Rogue sighed in relief when Kitty hung up the phone and she rolled over on her side, preparing to go to sleep.

"I miss her," came the tiny voice from across the room.

"Me too," Rogue mumbled so quietly, that she wasn't sure if Kitty heard her.

"Do you really think she's going to run away?" Kitty asked.

Rogue was shocked at the hope that laced Kitty's voice and she sighed softly, shaking her head against her fluffy pillow.

"No," she said, "Her," she rolled her eyes, "Her _family_ would think it was us—try to trace her back here. Doe knows that."

"Oh," Kitty mumbled, sounding disappointed, "But she'll come visit, right?"

Rogue rolled her eyes again, "During the summer."

"Oh, okay," Kitty yawned, "Night, Rogue."

Rogue bit her lip, "Night, Kitty. Now shut up and go tah sleep, weh have school, tomorrow."

Kitty giggled quietly, but she did as she was told, allowing her eyes to close.

Rogue waited until she could hear Kitty's soft snores before she sat up, tucking her bangs behind her pale ears. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headboard, sighing for the ten millionth time since Meadow left.


	3. Chapter III

Meadow yawned, her eyes fluttering open as she stretched out on her bed. Why was she awake? Had her alarm gone off already? She swore that she had just fallen asleep.

Rubbing the drowsiness out of eyes, she peered at her alarm clock and groaned at the numbers that flashed 2:00AM. Oh, yeah, she was in Forks and New York was three hours ahead. It was 5:00AM there which meant that she should have been getting up at the Institute.

"Stupid internal clock," she moaned, fumbling to turn on her bedside lamp. She flinched at the brightness. She was awake and it was pitch black outside.

She scratched her scalp before she sat up, brushing a few strands of loose hair back. She yawned and rubbed her eyes again. It was a weird feeling not getting up to yank on her uniform for early Danger Room sessions; and that only added to her building anxiety. If she couldn't do Danger Room sessions, then she would need to find another way to get in her exercise and control training. She wondered if Professor Xavier would be open to doing their sessions over the phone.

"Stop it," she whispered to herself when the lamp began to flicker, "You're okay."

She took a deep breath and the light settled. She had five hours to get it all together, to prepare herself for all the emotions that would slam into her. When she had first gone to the institute, she had been home-schooled for a year and a half and even with all the training, it had been hard for her to attend school.

But she was stronger, now. Hours of meditating and building up her barriers and psyche weren't all for nothing. She wasn't going to throw away all of her hard work because she was angry and upset. No. She could do this. She was going to control herself and fight for the equal world that Professor Xavier desired. That they all desired. One day, they would all live among humans in a peaceful world. No one would have to hide anymore. No one would have to be ashamed.

Taking another deep breath, Meadow left her room, deciding to go downstairs. She winced when the floorboards creaked and held her breath; not wanting to wake anyone up. She relaxed a second later when she heard Charlie snoring, his emotions content and relaxed.

She came to a sudden halt in her steps and turned to face the closed door that she had been about to pass.

Protectiveness.

Those weren't Bella's emotions. Finding Bella's signature revealed relaxation and ease. There was a sliver of protectiveness and happiness, but it wasn't the main emotion like this signature held. No, this was different. One that Meadow had never encountered.

Someone was in the house.

Fear caused her heartbeat to speed up. Charlie had mentioned that the house might be a bit cold as Bella constantly kept her window open. After all, Charlie was the Chief of Police and Meadow had no idea of the crime that went on in Forks. Did break-ins happen often?

Meadow forced herself to relax some more. If it came down to it and she had no time to get Charlie, she was confident that she could take them, either with combat or manipulating their emotions. She could make anyone do what she pleased without seriously hurting them, and that's why she preferred the latter. But before she jumped to dramatic conclusions, she needed to explore the signature. She closed her eyes and latched onto it.

Kindness, love, compassion, tenderness, stubbornness, obsession.

She shuddered at the latter emotion much like she had done with Bella and then it hit her. Bella's boyfriend. Edmund, Edwin or something like that.

She opened her eyes and arched a single eyebrow at the door. Who knew that little goody-two-shoes, perfect, quiet Bella was sneaking her boyfriend into the house at night? Charlie most definitely didn't know about it and as much as Meadow was tempted to do so, she wasn't going to tell. That wasn't cool, but she would store that piece of information away for later.

Surrounding herself in a barrier of calm to get out of what's-his-face's emotions, Meadow continued on her trek downstairs. It was dark and she struggled to see, but she felt along the walls until her hands went over a light switch. Flicking it on, she found herself in the kitchen. Oh, she had been trying to get to the living room.

Her stomach growled, hungry from its missed dinner and Meadow sighed, deciding to have a small breakfast before she exercised. It was going to take her forever to come up with a workout plan that equaled her Danger Room sessions.

Turning her attention back to her stomach, Meadow began to rummage through the cabinets, looking for oatmeal and a bowl. The kitchen looked sort of odd with its old square oak table with its three unmatching chairs, dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. The cabinets had been one of Renee's many projects and attempt to bring some sunshine into the house, but it hadn't worked and now they just looked out of place.

Meadow startled when a crack appeared in the glass vase that rested near the phone. If it broke, hundreds of blue marbles would spill out everywhere. The simple decoration had been another one of—no, Meadow couldn't think about _her_. That's what had caused the crack in the first place.

"It's fine, it's fine," she whispered to herself, tearing open the packet of maple and brown sugar oatmeal after checking the ingredients, "You're good, it's okay."

Calm surrounded her and she took a deep breath to relax as she poured the correct amount of water before sticking the bowl in the microwave. She was so on edge. It had been awhile since she had to hide herself like this.

As she waited, she bit her lip, taking inventory of the kitchen once more. She tapped her foot, debating on whether or not to make breakfast for the others residing in the house. From what she had witnessed yesterday, Bella was still in a lot of pain and apparently, Charlie couldn't cook even if his life depended on it. Sure, she still couldn't stand them. Not at all, but she wasn't a cruel person with no soul who would let Bella make breakfast when she had almost died and was still healing.

She puffed out her cheeks and took her food out of the microwave, stirring it with a spoon that she found in a drawer. While waiting for it to cool, she pre-heated the oven. She'd make breakfast now and put it in the fridge. That way, she could get it over with and still have time to exercise and meditate. She definitely needed to.

An hour and a half later, she had finished her oatmeal and breakfast was in the fridge, the kitchen warm and smelling heavily of cinnamon. She had made French toast casserole, nothing too fancy. She washed her hands one last time and placed her bowl in the dishwasher, checking the time on the microwave. It was almost 4:00AM. Great, she only had a couple of hours until Charlie and Bella were up and she, herself would need at least an hour to get ready. It took forever to get dressed when you had over eighteen inches of hair, especially when it was curly.

So, that only gave her two hours. An hour to exercise and an hour to meditate if she wanted to split it up evenly. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to get too worked up. Another crack appeared in the vase and she took a deep breath, reigning in her emotional energy. Meditation and controlling her powers came first, she would have to workout later.

Leaving the kitchen, Meadow hurried up the stairs and returned to her room, shutting the door as quietly as she could. It still creaked, of course, but she paid it no mind, picking up the lighter that was atop her dresser, beginning the process of lighting all her candles.

She took her position in the middle of the floor, going into the quarter lotus position as she always did. It was easier to relax when everyone was a sleep and she did her best to ignore Bella's boyfriend's emotions. The unhealthy obsession they had with each other made her nauseous and she had no desire to feel that.

"I'm okay, I'm great," she whispered to herself, "I am in control and everything is going to be fine."

* * *

The sound of shrieking caused Meadow to jerk awake, a loud gasp falling from her lips. She looked around wildly and it took a moment, out of disorientation, for her to realize that the shrieking was her cellphone alarm, the second one that she had set. Which meant one thing: it was 7:00AM…and she had fallen asleep during her meditation.

Panicked, she fumbled to turn it off and climbed unsteadily to her feet, staggering over to her bedside table to shut off her other alarm clock. She expected wax to be everywhere, but her room was as clean as she had left it. She couldn't remember blowing her candles out. Maybe Charlie had come in to check on her and done it for her, worried that the house would burn down.

Rubbing her eyes, Meadow grabbed her bundle of clothes and toiletries, ignoring the way her heart sped up with nerves. Today was the day. Her first day at Forks High. It was weird for her, just jumping into school like this. At the Institute, everyone had been home schooled until gaining a better control of their powers and for awhile, it had just been Jean and Scott attending Bayville High.

Now in the bathroom, she closed and locked the door, staring at her reflection as she set out her products. Her eyes were still swollen and red-rimmed from crying most of the night. Great.

Her shower was quick, most of the time spent combing her long hair and when she finished washing herself and the water turned cold, she shut it off, grabbing her towel from the hook and toweling dry just as fast, trying to keep more tears from falling. She would need to call the Professor or maybe even Storm. The Weather Witch's powers had a bit to do with empathy. Ororo could relate.

She dressed at the same time she dried her hair and she slicked it back with a natural bristle brush before she began to plait a side fishtail, jamming her feet into a pair of black patent leather combat boots that matched perfectly with her jacket.

After moisturizing her face, she gripped the sink with both hands and closed her eyes, breathing deeply and trying to gather her wits. Her heart was still racing and she needed to calm down. Her subconscious was radiating so much negativity that she worried she would choke on it.

Grabbing her cellphone off the counter, she flipped it open and with a shaking hand, she pressed the '1' and held it to her ear, her heart skipping as it began to ring.

"Come on, come on, come on," she pleaded quietly, "Please pick up."

"' _Lo_?"

The gruff and tired voice was not the one she had hoped to hear, but it was familiar and allowed the tension in her shoulders to relax.

"Logan…" she breathed.

" _Doe_?" he questioned, " _What's wrong_?"

"I don't think I can do this," she choked out, "I'm not prepared, I'm such an idiot and fell asleep while I was meditating. I can't handle-

" _Stop_ ," Logan demanded.

Meadow clamped her mouth shut.

" _Quit doubtin' yourself_ , _kid_ ," Logan said, " _Yer gonna be okay_. _You've been in tough situations before haven't ya_ '?"

"Yes," Meadow whispered, "I have."

But never something like this. She never thought in a million years that she would be living with her estranged family again. This was a challenge that she had never bothered to prepare herself for.

" _And ya' know what to do when you start to get overwhelmed_ ," Logan continued, snapping Meadow out of her thoughts, " _Don't focus on all of the emotions_ , _filter them out_ , _put them into categories and stay with yourself_. _If it gets too much_ , _then get out of there and call someone_ — _call here_. _That way_ , _you won't hurt anyone and you won't hurt yourself_. _Do you understand_?"

"Yes," she said, "I understand."

" _Good_ ," Logan said curtly, " _Any problems_?"

Meadow winced. By problems, he meant power flares. He was asking if she had broken anything.

"Yes," she told him honestly, "But nothing too major. Cracks in an old vase."

Logan made a sound deep in his chest, " _I'll let Chuck know_. _Everything else okay_?"

The side of Meadow's mouth quirked up at Logan's awkward tone. He wasn't good at all the emotional stuff, but he tried.

"Not really," she told him, "But I'll suck it up."

" _Course ya' will_ ," Logan chuckled.

Meadow managed a small smile, "Bye, Logan. Thanks."

" _Bye_ , _Doe_."

Meadow flipped her phone closed and slipped it into her jeans pocket. She felt better, more confident and she left the bathroom, heading downstairs and trying to keep her steps as quiet as possible.

She ended up in the living room, this time and it was then that she noticed the row of pictures above the fireplace. She stepped closer to get a better look.

The first picture was of Charlie and Renee in Las Vegas, the second of the couple holding Bella after she'd been born, then there was one of Renee holding Meadow after she had been born, with Charlie holding a one-year-old Bella. Following the three pictures was an onslaught of school pictures. Bella's was up to last years, but hers cut off at eleven years old.

"Aren't they embarrassing?"

Meadow turned swiftly to see Bella with a shy smile, leaning against who Meadow assumed to be her boyfriend.

The first thing she noticed was how untidy his hair was. It was an unusual bronze shade and went perfectly with the gold of his eyes and extremely pale skin. His body was thin and lanky, but also held a muscular build, towering over Bella by almost a foot. His facial features were perfect and he wore light colored clothes accompanied by a light beige leather jacket. She still couldn't remember his name, but didn't care.

Seeing that Bella was waiting for an answer, Meadow met eyes with the girl and narrowed them slightly in annoyance, "I guess," she supplied.

"Meadow, this is Edward," Bella introduced, a blush on her cheeks, "My b-boyfriend."

Edward smiled charmingly and held out a hand, his other arm wrapped around Bella's shoulders, "Edward Cullen. Pleasure to meet you, Meadow."

Meadow kept her hands to herself, but gave a curt nod of her head, "Pleasure's mine," she mumbled before pushing past him and going into the kitchen. She was starving.

She sighed when she entered the room. Sitting at the table, chatting enthusiastically to Charlie, was Alice. Though she was annoyed, it was sort of a relief to have Alice there, and Meadow latched onto Alice's emotional signature, the positive emotions easing her anxiety.

"Meadow!" Alice cried, jumping up from her chair. Her smile was still strained, "It's so nice to see you again."

"Morning," Meadow said. She could hear footsteps behind her and left her spot to go to the fridge.

"Good morning," Charlie greeted, "Did you sleep well?"

"Fine," Meadow answered shortly, "I made breakfast if you want it."

Charlie's mouth fell open, "You did!?"

Meadow pursed her lips and took the glass pan, placing it on the stove, "Yes, I woke up really early. French toast."

"Thanks, honey," Charlie said, "And I can just microwave it?"

Meadow nodded and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl as well as a granola bar before taking a seat at the table. More chairs had been pulled over and Alice, Edward, and Bella were already sitting.

"Did you settle in okay?" Bella asked.

Meadow flicked her eyebrows up and resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Sure, I've settled in _great_."

She ignored the flush that spread up Bella's neck and turned the granola bar over, checking the label. She and placed it aside. She couldn't eat it.

"Meadow, let me know when you're ready to go," Charlie said, joining them at the table.

Meadow scooted her chair over, nestling herself in her own bundle of calm. She couldn't express how much she already loathed the day. She hated that she had to start the morning like this, but she couldn't afford to let that get to her. She wouldn't give Renee the satisfaction.

"You won't be riding with us?" Edward asked, staring intently at Meadow.

She arched a single eyebrow, "No?"

Alice frowned, "That's too bad. I was hoping we could talk."

"Meadow," Charlie scolded her again, "I have to get to work. Why don't you ride with th-

"I'll take my chances walking, then," Meadow rolled her eyes and stood up, leaving the kitchen with her apple clutched tightly in her hand.

Charlie sighed heavily and gave Alice an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Angel."

"No, don't worry about it," Alice said, "I'm sure she's homesick."

"Yeah," Charlie mused, picking at his French toast, "You doin' okay, Bell?"

"I'm doing okay," Bella smiled, "I took my pain medication, already. I just—I wish Meadow didn't hate me."

"She doesn't hate you," Edward reassured, kissing Bella's forehead.

Bella gave him a weak smile. She was grateful for the reassurance, but couldn't help doubting it. If this was Meadow's way of showing that she cared, then Bella was in for a long and painful ride of trying to get to know her sister.

* * *

A tear dripped onto the apple that had no bites taken out of it and Meadow sniffled, wiping her face with the back of her hand. While she was much more sensitive, she was sure that she had never cried as much as she had in the past twenty-four hours.

She felt like such a burden and the feeling was painful. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to let this get to her, that she'd be the bigger person and remain in control, but it didn't seem like that was happening and she resented herself for it.

"Get it together," she told herself, "Don't fall apart, you've worked too hard. Do not give up because you feel as though your world is falling apart," she echoed the Professor's words, "Okay, I can do this. Self-affirmation."

She wiped her eyes and left her apple on the bedside table for later. She stood up and left her room, a small scream falling from her lips when she opened the door.

"Charlie," she gasped, her hand going to her heart, " _What_ are you doing!?"

"I," Charlie looked flustered, "I was coming to get you. Are you ready to go?"

"I guess," she mumbled.

Charlie arched a single eyebrow, a slight smile of amusement quirking his lips, "I think you're forgetting something."

Meadow tilted her head to the side, looking down at herself, "I am? What?"

"Your backpack," Charlie pointed out.

"Oh," Meadow gasped, "Right, it's in my suitcase."

The sudden sadness and disappointment radiating from Charlie caused Meadow to wince and she pushed calm and contentment at him, taking away the negative emotions.

"You didn't unpack?" he asked, his tone dejected.

"Not yet," she stood once she had fished out her black backpack, "Can we go?"

Once again, she left before he could reply and she jogged down the stairs almost running into Edward.

"Whoa, there," he steadied her easily, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Meadow said automatically, her gaze on the floor, "Thanks."

Edward stared at her for a few moments before he nodded and released the tops of her arms.

"I take it you're riding with your father?" he asked.

"Charlie," she corrected, "And yes, but…thank you for the offer."

Edward opened his mouth, but he closed it quickly; his response forgotten as Alice appeared with Bella at her side and he immediately went towards her, a warm smile on his face.

Ugh, Meadow was going to vomit at the emotions the two were radiating and she left, going outside to wait by the police cruiser. Her leather jacket didn't have a hood, but that was fine. The light sprinkling didn't bother her.

A few minutes later, Charlie came jogging out of the house and he pressed a button on his key ring, the car unlocking with a beep.

Meadow got into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt before she pulled out her CD player. There was no harm in getting at least a little bit of meditation. She turned it on full blast and closed her eyes, her body tensing slightly when the car started and began to move.

She exhaled, relaxing once more as she leaned her head back against the headrest and replayed the earlier phone conversation with Logan in her mind. He believed in her—all the X-Men did and she needed to believe in herself as well. From the research she had done on her computer, Forks High had less that 400 students. That wasn't even half of the students at Bayville High. Yes, she could do this. In reality, she could probably manipulate her entire classroom to the emotional level of her liking.

She removed her headphones and packed away her CD player, wanting to save the batteries. She hadn't changed them in quite sometime.

Now that she could hear, Charlie cleared his throat to get Meadow's attention. She seemed to be in a better mood and he wanted to take advantage of it.

"Are you getting excited?" he asked hopefully.

Meadow frowned, "No."

Charlie sighed at the tone and he shook his head, "Meadow, I'm really trying he-

"Well, no one asked you to try," Meadow exclaimed, cutting him off, "I don't want you or anyone else to try," she bit her trembling bottom lip, "I want to go home!"

Charlie winced, suddenly feeling very anxious and he squirmed in his seat as sweat broke out on his brow, unsure of how to respond.

"I-I'm sorry," he said lamely.

Meadow huffed and turned her head just as they pulled up to the school, "Me too,"

The school was just off the highway and looked like a bunch of houses. The maroon-colored brick buildings were surrounded by trees and shrubs.

"I'll take you to the Front Office, first," Charlie said, "You'll need to get your schedule."

Meadow nodded, chewing on her thumbnail, "Thank you for the ride," she whispered, pushing out calm, "I _do_ appreciate it, Charlie."

Charlie seemed to brighten and he nodded, "You're welcome. I'll wait here."

"Okay," Meadow took a deep breath and stepped out of the car to walk up the small stone path.

Surprisingly, inside, the Front Office building was warm and brightly lit. The office itself was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls and a big loud clock. Plants grew in large plastic pots and the room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, bespectacled red-haired woman.

"One emotion, one emotion," Meadow whispered to herself, "Filter," she nodded fiercely to herself, "You can do this."

Ditzy was the first emotion that she picked up on and Meadow's eyes darted to the side in disbelief. Ditzy, seriously? That could be manipulated with no problem. Maybe this really would be easier than she thought.

"Meadow Swan," the woman smiled warmly as the girl approached the desk, "Hello, there."

Meadow smiled shyly. It was unnerving that the woman knew her name already. Obviously, Meadow wasn't much of a people person and shyness and defensiveness was usually her downfall.

"Hi," she whispered, "It's nice to meet you…?"

"Ms. Cope," she said, still smiling, "And I have your schedule and everything right here. Are you aware that you've been moved into some junior classes?"

"Yes," Meadow nodded, "I am."

"Wonderful," Ms. Cope cried, "Look here and I'll go over the map."

Meadow nodded and did her best to listen as Ms. Cope went over directions, pointing and highlighting, explaining the easiest routes. When she was finished, she gave Meadow a yellow slip to have her teachers sign.

"I'll need that at the end of the day," Ms. Cope said, "You won't forget, will you?"

"No, ma'am," Meadow said. She forced a smile, "I'll be here after school."

"Great," the redhead nodded, "And at some point, the nurse will want to see you."

Meadow returned the nod, "Okay. See you after school."

Ms. Cope smiled and waved towards the door, "On you go, dear. Have a nice day."

"Thanks," Meadow called back, taking leave of the office.

As promised, Charlie was waiting for her with the car still running and she climbed in, setting her black backpack at her feet.

"How'd it go?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

Meadow shrugged, "Fine," she said, looking over her schedule.

Period 1 – Biology 1

Period 2 – Spanish

Period 3 – English 11

Period 4 – Government

Lunch

Period 5 – Gym

Period 6 – Algebra 2

"I'm in a couple junior classes," she said, looking at Charlie. She wasn't sure what she was hoping for or what she was expecting his reaction to be.

Surprisingly, Charlie frowned and his emotions turned to those of confusion "Well, shouldn't you be?" he asked, "You're a junior aren't you? Like Bella."

There it was. _Bella_. It was always about Bella.

Meadow was proud of herself when everything in the car remained intact. Perhaps it was due to how hard she dug her teeth in her lower lip or the indents she would find later from digging her nails into her palms as hard as she could. When Charlie finally found a parking spot, she couldn't get out of the car fast enough. She had forgotten to tell him about the yellow slip she needed to return at the end of the day, but she'd do it later. Maybe.

"Gotcha!"

"Oh, goodness!" Meadow jumped for the second time that day, when cold arms wrapped around her own arm, forcing her to stop walking. She turned her head, looked down and saw Alice.

"Oops," Alice giggled, "Sorry, Meadow, I didn't mean to scare you."

Positive emotions assaulted Meadow and she pushed a few of them back, gently pulling out of Alice's hold, "Alice," she greeted.

Alice blinked, "You know my name?"

Meadow held back her snide comment, choosing instead to jab a finger behind her, "I have to go and find my class, so…"

"No, wait!" Alice grabbed Meadow's arm again, "I need you to come with me."

"That's all right," Meadow declined, "You can let go now."

"Alice, you're harassing my sister."

Meadow gnawed on her lower lip as Bella and Edward approached, Bella leaning heavily on Edward as she tried to balance on her crutches, but the couple wasn't alone. Three others lingered behind them. Two males and a female. All inhumanly beautiful.

The female was very tall, almost six feet. Her figure was elegant and had long wavy blond hair that fell to the middle of her back and perfectly suited her golden eyes.

The monster of a boy she had her arms wrapped around was huge, his form filled out and muscular. He had dimples and slightly curly, dark brown hair that almost looked black.

The third male stood 6'3" and had honey blond hair that fell just above his collar. He was muscular, but lean, looking very similar to the other blonde. Twins. And he had the same pale skin and golden eyes as the rest of them.

"I'm not harassing her," Alice stuck her tongue out, "Meadow, I want you to meet my brothers and sister: Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. You've met Edward already."

"And it was _such_ a pleasure," Meadow said sarcastically. She was still creeped out about the fact that he was in the house during the middle of the night.

Emmett laughed. Loudly and Meadow took that moment to take note of their emotions. She didn't stay with Rosalie's for too long, they were too negative and those hurt the most. Emmett's were carefree and positive, like Alice. Protective too.

Jasper was…guarded.

Meadow easily kept her facial expression controlled and explored the signature further. No, still guarded. That was odd. Even if someone was closed off to feeling their emotions, Meadow could always dig a little deeper and find some type of undertone, but with Jasper…nothing.

Frustrated, she looked up to see his eyes locked on her, his jaw set, but when he caught her looking, a charming smile graced his face and he dipped his head.

"Pleased to meet you," he said.

Meadow's eyes widened at the Southern accent and her thoughts went to Rogue.

"Pleasure's mine," she responded, "Texas?"

Jasper gave a curt nod, "Houston."

"Nice," she responded shortly. That was the end of that conversation.

"Meadow?" Bella asked timidly, "Can I see your schedule?"

Meadow bit her lip, as she hesitated, "Why do you need to know?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "I wanted to see if we had any classes together. Is that such a crime?"

" _Mom_ , _I'm scared_ , _I'm scared_! _Do something_ , _she's a freak_!"

Meadow blinked a few times as she recalled the words and then she bit her lip, narrowing her eyes, "Yes," she snapped, "It is. By the way, I'm a _Sophomore_!"

She was off and walking before anyone could respond and Bella sighed.

Emmett whistled lowly, " _Damn_."

"Yeah…" Bella nodded, "Exactly. She does that a lot."

Emmett grinned down at Rosalie and snickered, "I think you two will get along great, babe!"

Rosalie snorted disbelievingly and rolled her eyes. She had no plans to befriend a human. She could barely stand the one who had been forced into their lives.

Edward hissed, a low sound escaping from his clenched teeth.

"Hey, none of that," Alice scolded, "Don't worry, Bella. Meadow will come around," she said this matter-of-factually.

Edward made a sound in the back of his throat, chuckling when Alice glared at him.

"What?" Bella looked between the two. She had missed something, "What don't I know?"

"Later," Edward promised, "Come on, love, let's get you to class."

Alice loitered behind, grabbing Jasper's hand to keep him by her side and allowing the couples to walk ahead.

"What is it, Ali?" Jasper asked worriedly.

"I can't see her future," Alice whispered, only loud enough for him to hear, "Meadow's. I _can't_ see it. All all. It's not even blurry."

Jasper frowned, "And you've spoken to Carlisle about this?"

"No," Alice shook her head, "Not yet and Edward can't read her mind. I know that for a fact. Did you get anything from her?"

"Other than irritation?" Jasper chuckled, "No, I didn't, but I'll keep my eye out, doll."

Alice nodded, her marble face creased, "It looks like you're the only one who can."


	4. Chapter IV

From what Jasper could recall, he had been born Jasper Whitlock in 1844; Houston, Texas. He couldn't remember much of his childhood. His clearest memories started when he had joined the Confederate Army when he was sixteen, claiming to be twenty. He had been very persuasive, suave, and charming. It had worked and by the time the first battle of Galveston rolled around, he was the youngest major in Texas, having been promoted through the ranks, in only two years.

His job was to evacuate woman and children to Houston to avoid Union mortar boats. After transporting the first group, he had set out to return…and that's when he had seen them. Three woman.

He had brought his trusty steed to a halt and immediately dismounted, approaching the woman on foot. He was a Southern man and had been taught to show woman the utmost respect, but as soon as they turned around, he had stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening.

All three were indescribably beautiful and couldn't be older than twenty. Each one of them had deathly pale skin and perfect bodies. Their skin was flawless, not a bump or blemish in sight. He fell speechless at the sight of them and had even thought of pinching himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He thought they were angels.

Introducing himself as Major Whitlock, he found out the women's names: Maria, Lucy, and Nettie. Their voices were the softest music and he longed to hear more and resisted the urge to beg them to continue speaking.

Thinking back on it, he should have run. They flirted with him, charmed him much like he had done previously, to others; and it left him confused on whether or not they needed help. He should have noticed the dangerous tones their voices took, the narrowing of their scarlet eyes, and the disturbing giggles that fell from their tantalizing lips.

But he hadn't. And because of that, he had paid the price.

The scream he released when Maria bit into his jugular echoed loudly throughout the night, scaring his horse and probably all of Texas. His vision had tunneled and then focused, the warm blood trailing down his body bringing him back to reality.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never put words to the agony. _Acid flowing through his veins_ didn't do it justice. It was far more painful than that. He had cried, sobbed brokenly, and begged for death. He was sure that he had broken a few bones with the inhuman way his body twisted and turned in its thrashing. At one point, Maria held him down and that only served to make things worse.

When it was over, a brief explanation was given and he was put to work immediately. Maria needed to reclaim her territory and was going to use a newborn vampire army to do so. Because of his militaristic experience, he was put in charge of helping her create the perfect army—destroying those who got in the way. Nettie and Lucy went first.

He was a savage, swimming in a pool of endless depression for decades as time continued to pass. At times, he wished that a newborn would bite him too close, maybe dismember him. It was torturous, feeling every emotion of all the newborns and humans he killed. He couldn't stand it.

Then came Peter and befriending him was a blessing. With a kindred spirit, the other blonde-haired vampire didn't like to fight, though he was good at it and Peter was put in charge of watching over the others while Jasper hunted. Peter was Jasper's first true friend and they had civilized conversations when they were able. That made things easier.

When Charlotte came into the mix, things changed for Peter. The short, pale-blonde girl had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time when Maria went looking for humans, and she was turned.

Jasper warned his friend that Charlotte wouldn't last long. The scholarly vampire had no combat skills whatsoever, but Peter didn't listen to reason—the two had fallen in love at first sight. Jasper brushed off Peter's attempts to pursue him to preserve a few of the newborns. There was no point, they were too weak and needed to make room for more.

But Jasper had done it, he had spoken to Maria about keeping a few of them, for Peter's sake; but Maria didn't budge, not in the mood for another Nettie/Lucy situation. That was that.

It was the day that Jasper allowed Peter and Charlotte to escape that Maria became distrustful of him. He could sense how fearful she was and knew she was plotting to destroy him. He planned to destroy her first and was confident that he could, but then a miracle happened.

Peter came back. It was 1938 when Peter returned and told Jasper of how vampires could coexist up North.

Jasper left to join his friends, but he did not find peace; he was still tormented by his gift. He traveled with them for ten years before he left, knowing that he was upsetting them.

It was raining the day he entered that diner in Philadelphia and as he entered, a little bell jingled above his head. His dark eyes scanned the room. The place was nearly empty.

He had barely stepped in two feet when Alice approached him, radiating happiness and scolding him for keeping her waiting. Though surprised, he had given her a small smile, dipped his head, and apologized.

She accepted his apology with ease, kissed his cheek, and began her tale of the Cullen's; explaining her own background and gift of seeing the future. He took the hand she offered, surprised at the unfamiliar emotion that assaulted him: hope.

They located the family in 1950, trying their best to adapt to animal blood along the way. They joined the family hours after meeting them, Alice moving Edward's stuff out while he stood there awkwardly, telling Carlisle and Esme a brief tale of their pasts.

They were accepted with open arms after getting past the initial shock and things went swimmingly. It took a long time, but eventually Jasper became close with each one of his family members, especially his brothers who often sought him out and convinced him to come downstairs to play video games or chess…even though he had no idea what those activities consisted of.

It had taken him awhile, but he realized that there really was a world out there that wasn't consistent war and dismembering. He could be…happy.

And now, centuries later, he was. He had a family that loved him and while things had been complicated with the Edward and Bella situation, it seemed like things were looking up.

Then, Meadow Swan moved to town the day prior and it wasn't a problem. There was no reason for it to be. That is, until Alice went 'blind' and completely panicked. Edward being unable to hear Meadow's thoughts had been expected. After all, she was Bella's sister, but blocking Alice out? That had never been heard of.

Bella had been so excited upon learning that Meadow would be coming to Forks. The realization that Alice couldn't see Meadow's future, had them all questioning whether or not the young Swan _had_ a future. No one told Bella, not wanting to upset her, but they were worried. Especially Alice. For some reason, Alice was determined to make the young Swan one of her new best friends and just like they constantly kept an eye on Charlie, they would do the same for Meadow.

Because no one else could sense anything from the brunette, it was Jasper's job to attune himself to her emotions and try his best to keep her out of danger—keep her alive.

It was a weird feeling for Jasper Hale, to be given a task that didn't involve ending someone's life.

* * *

"Ah, if it isn't, Meadow Swan."

Meadow rolled her eyes at the velvet voice. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. Though the emotions had changed, the obsession with Bella still lingered.

She shuddered, cursing herself internally.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked.

"Cold," Meadow responded shortly, "That's all."

"Would you like my jacket?" Edward offered, falling in step beside her.

Meadow bit back a snide comment about how she was already wearing one. It was a nice offer and she supposed she should say thank you.

"No, thank you," she said quietly, "If you've failed to notice, I'm already wearing one."

Okay, so, maybe she needed to practice filtering her words, but what was with this guy? Didn't he need to go follow Bella around? Why was he being so nice to her?

Edward let out a breathy chuckle, "No, I did not fail to notice, but I thought I would offer. How were your first couple of classes?"

"Terrible," Meadow said. Everywhere she went, people gawked and stared, every word out of their mouths compared her to Bella or asked about her. If that wasn't the topic, then it was the fact that she had been in disciplinary school. A few questioned how she had ended up there, but Meadow brushed them off.

"I hate it here," she added, "But you don't need to hear me gripe. How…" she sighed, "How's your day been?" she forced out.

"Uneventful," he told her, "I don't mind hearing you gripe. At least you're making conversation."

Meadow swore she was going to vomit. What part of _she didn't want anyone trying_ was so hard to understand? She especially didn't want Bella's perfect little boyfriend to form any kind of relationship with her. What? Did he plan on telling Bella everything she told him? She wasn't stupid.

"You can stop following me, now," she said, after a moment, "It's annoying and I have to get to English class."

"Well, what do you know?" Edward smirked, "I have English class too."

"Of course you do," Meadow sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

The rest of the walk was silent and Meadow wondered if Edward was just as unnerved as she was. She had learned a lot more at the Xavier Institute than just how to control her powers and how to defend herself. She had learned how to take in her surroundings, make a quick getaway, and take note of things that were off.

Edward Cullen was definitely off.

It wasn't the way he looked, it was his presence. No matter how subtle he thought he was being, Meadow knew—could feel each time he looked at her and though the gazes were fleeting, they were intense. His entire demeanor screamed 'trying too hard'. The way he walked, talked, even blinked. He did the exact same things she did as he took in his surroundings like he was waiting for someone or something to jump out at him, but she was better at it than he was, she was sure of it.

Yes, there was something off about him, but it wasn't her business and she wasn't going to pry.

Not only did she not care, but she knew what it was like. She was off too. Okay so…maybe they _did_ have something in common, but she wasn't going to tell him that of course.

"After you, Meadow."

She jumped a foot in the air, Edward's voice pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time since they started walking.

She blinked, "What?"

Edward nodded towards the door he held open, "English class," he reminded with a smug smile, "After you."

"Oh," Meadow took a deep breath, "Thanks, Edward."

"Just so you know," Edward started, "The only empty desk is next to me."

Meadow wanted to sock Edward in his smug face and clenched her fist to keep from doing so.

"Of course it is," she ground out.

It was only third period and if the rest of the day was going to be like this, then Meadow was starting to think that running away would be the better option.

True to his word, Meadow did end up sitting beside Edward and much to her surprise, everyone's emotions were mostly the same as soon as they laid eyes on her: disbelief, curiosity, and awe. As overwhelming as it almost got, nothing was broken and Meadow manipulated them easily, quelling the curiosity and replacing it with satisfaction. Other than that, she tried her best to stay within herself, ignoring the whispers that called for her attention and Edward's continuous glances.

She spent the class going over the reading list, highlighting books that she had already read. It was a standard list, nothing too special. Besides sports and meditating, reading had become somewhat of a hobby of hers at the Institute during her down time.

"Bella has a majority of those books," Edward whispered when the teacher had his back turned.

"Good for her," Meadow whispered back, "I'll make sure to give her a trophy," she sighed and placed her head in a hand. She thought about journaling, but didn't trust the eyes that kept glancing over in her direction.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and a small smile played on her lips. The only person that she could see texting would be Kitty. Once again, Meadow would wait to check her phone. She would have plenty of time to do so at lunch. She would need to find the library.

Forty-five minutes later, when the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound and Meadow gasped softly as she startled, her hand going to her heart. She looked up, glaring when she heard someone chuckle.

"Quit laughing at me," she snapped at Edward.

Edward gave a curt nod of his head, "See you around Meadow. Enjoy the rest of your day."

She didn't respond as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She would bet money that Edward only spoke to her because she was Bella's sister and she had no plans to buy into it.

She left the classroom, trying to fish her schedule from her bag as she walked, and avoided bumping into people. The class schedule was weird, in her opinion. Four classes, lunch, then two more classes instead of splitting the six classes in half with lunch in between.

"H-hi, Meadow."

The soft voice was different from the ones Meadow had already encountered and she turned her head and looked up to see a very tall girl smiling shyly. She had light brown hair with streaks of honey and gentle brown eyes. Exploring her emotions revealed—well, shyness.

"Hello," Meadow greeted, surprised, "Um, what's your name?"

"Angela Weber," she said, "It's nice to meet you. I really like your hair."

Meadow managed a small smile, "Thank you. I like yours too."

"Thanks," Angela said, "How's your day so far?"

Meadow winced, "Uh, it's okay, I guess. A lot of…staring and…questions."

"Yeah, we don't get new students often," Angela said apologetically, "It passes. Hey, what class are you going to?"

Meadow finally found her schedule and looked it over, "Government? Yeah, Building 6."

"Oh," Angela gasped, "Me too. I didn't know you were a junior."

A flush spread up Meadow's neck, "Sophomore," she murmured, "I was in a couple advanced classes at my school in New York."

"New York?" Angela gasped, "Oh, the time difference."

Another small smile graced Meadow's face, "I woke up super early because of it."

Angela giggled, "That sounds awful. I can barely get up when my alarm goes off. I don't think I could do a whole three hours earlier. And you got here on time?"

Meadow's eyes widened and she bit her lip, holding back a shy smile. This had been the most civil conversation she had had all day.

"I did fall asleep again," she admitted sheepishly.

"Are you staying in Forks?" Angela asked.

"No," Meadow tried to keep the sharpness out of her voice, "I plan to leave as soon as possible. I'm just visiting."

Angela nodded and the two continued in silence. This one was comfortable, not forced and Meadow relaxed, enjoying Angela's emotions.

Meadow kept her jacket on when she walked into the classroom, digging out the yellow slip that was folded into her pocket. She handed it to Mr. Jefferson who gawked at her like everyone else and quickly scrawled his signature.

"Thank you," she whispered, taking the slip back and accepting a book he held out, "Where can I sit?"

"There's a couple empty desks behind Miss Weber," Mr. Jefferson gestured, "Take your pick and you'll need this."

Meadow accepted the book that he held out then with her head hung, and cheeks flushed, she chose the seat right behind Angela, exhaling softly. She projected calm, doing her best to ignore the stares she still received.

"Aren't you Meadow Swan?"

"Unfortunately," she mumbled, not bothering to look up as she flipped though her history book.

* * *

Approaching the door, Meadow hesitantly poked her head in the door to the front office, "Mrs. Hammond?"

"Ah, Meadow," Ms. Cope smiled warmly, "The nurse is back here, honey. Follow me."

Meadow did as she was bid, welcoming the warmth.

"How has your day been?" Ms. Cope asked, "What class did I pull you out of?"

"Government," Meadow said, "And…my day has been okay, I guess. Thank you for asking."

Her day had been far from okay.

"Mrs. Hammond," Ms. Cope knocked on the slightly ajar door, "I have Meadow Swan here to see you."

"Of course," an elderly woman smiled, placing down a book, "Come in, Meadow. Have a seat."

Meadow nodded and sat on crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot in the small room.

"How are you?" Mrs. Hammond asked.

"Fine," Meadow said, "Yourself?"

"Just dandy," Mrs. Hammond sang, sitting on a stool with wheels, "Now, I understand that you have some food allergies?"

"Just one," Meadow said, "Nuts."

Mrs. Hammond hummed and wrote something down on a wide yellow pad. She looked up at Meadow, her brown eyes thoughtful.

"And what are your symptoms when you have an allergic reaction?" she asked.

"My throat will tighten," Meadow said, "Parts of my skin will turn red and my nose will start running."

"Anaphylactic?" the nurse asked worriedly.

Meadow nodded, biting her lip, "It's happened before. The last time was a few months ago?" she nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, my order got mixed up with someone else. I drank a peanut butter milkshake."

Mrs. Hammond scribbled something down, "You went to the ER, I hope?"

"After an EpiPen injection," Meadow shuddered. She still wasn't used to the feeling, "I have an extra one in my bag. Do you need it?"

"Yes, if you have two," Mrs. Hammond held a wrinkled hand out and took the EpiPen, checking its expiration date, "Perfect. Do you plan to buy your lunch?"

Meadow shook her head, "I've packed my lunch for years."

"Good," Mrs. Hammond said approvingly, "And is your sister aware of these allergies? She can yell for help if something happens?"

Meadow pressed her lips together. In all honesty, she didn't even know if _Charlie_ remembered that she was allergic to nuts. It had been the Professor that had called the school to inform them.

"Mhm," she hummed, "She does."

Mrs. Hammond seemed delighted by the fact and nodded, "Good, good. And you know to come straight here if you even suspect that you're having a reaction?"

"Yes, ma'am," Meadow nodded.

"Good girl," Mrs. Hammond patted Meadow's knee and tapped her chin with the pen, "Let's see…is there anything else I need to know?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Meadow mumbled, "I'm usually really careful about my allergies."

"Good to know," Mrs. Hammond scrawled down one last thing before she nodded, "Well, I suppose that's it. The bell should ring in—oh, there it goes," she chuckled, looking at the teen, "You can go, dear."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hammond," Meadow smiled before she stood up, "Hopefully, I won't have to see you anytime soon."

Mrs. Hammond laughed, touching Meadow's arm, "Yes, yes, I suppose you're right, honey. Have a nice rest of your day and be careful."

"Thanks," Meadow waved as she took her leave, "You too."

She looked up at the sky once she was outside, blinking a few times as the rain hit her eye. She wondered if it would ever stop raining. It had been raining since her arrival in Forks.

Rain. It often rained when Storm was really sad. The weather witch didn't do it on purpose, of course, but the thought made Meadow miss the African woman.

She pulled out her cellphone, now able to check her text messages without the worry of prying eyes and she laughed aloud at what Kitty had sent her.

' _That's hilarious_ ,' she typed, biting her lip, ' _Hey_ , _can you tell Storm that_ I-

"Eep!" a squeak of surprise escaped her mouth when she ran straight into a brick wall, her phone almost landing on the ground. She was sure she would've fallen if strong arms hadn't wrapped themselves around her.

"Are you all right, ma'am?"

Meadow's eyes flew open at the sound of the Southern drawl and blood pooled in her cheeks when she saw who had caught her and who she had mistaken for the brick wall she had run into, sending books and papers flying.

"Jasper," she gasped, "I—I am _so_ sorry. Oh, goodness, really, I should have been looking where I was going. Are you all right?"

Jasper flicked his eyebrows up, "Ahh, so she _does_ have manners?"

Meadow narrowed her eyes, "What? Of course I do."

"Just not for your family?"

Meadow wet her lips, "Don't judge me. You don't know anything about that situation."

Jasper nodded, "My apologies, Meadow."

Meadow was still glaring, "You can let go of me now."

"You don't like being compared to her," Jasper said. He released Meadow and knelt down on the cold cement, beginning to gather up papers, "I'm sure it can get very tedious."

Meadow glanced at him and then turned her attention back to the task at hand, "You have no idea," she whispered.

"Perhaps you should speak to her about it?" Jasper suggested.

Meadow snorted, "'Cause I'm just _dying_ to speak to her. Wow, you've read me like a book."

Jasper pursed his lips, "Is this the part where I give in to your false, defensive bravado, roll my eyes, and leave you alone?"

Meadow opened her mouth and then closed it again. She blushed and turned her head away, beginning to gather up her things more quickly.

"Sorry," she finally mumbled, "I don't mean to be rude. It's been a rough day."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jasper straightened up and held out a hand, "Need help up?"

Meadow hesitated and shook her head, "No," she stood up, brushing off her clothes, "I've got it. Thanks."

She accepted the thin stack of papers that Jasper held out and offered a timid smile, "Do you know where the library is? I-

"Meadow!"

Jasper chuckled when Meadow groaned, "Alice likes you," he told her, "She just wants you to feel welcome here."

Meadow shook her head sadly, "Well, I don't want to feel welcome."

Alice had her usual wide smile as she approached, bouncing on her toes, "Meadow," she greeted, "Are you coming to eat lunch with us? Bella will be here-

"Alice," Jasper warned gently. He faced Meadow again, his eyes soft, "Did you need help finding the library?"

Meadow, became defensive once more, and narrowed her eyes, "No, I don't," she snapped, "Leave me alone!"

She turned on her heel, her papers and books clutched tightly in her hands. She was over the school day, she was over Forks, she was over the Cullen's, and she was over Bella. She was going to Charlie's house, not caring if she got into trouble. Maybe that's what it would take for Renee to send Meadow back to her real home.

Really, she had no idea where she was going, but that was fine. Forks was a small town and Meadow would find her way to Charlie's sooner or later. Besides, she needed the exercise.

She stopped walking for a moment so that she could shove everything into her backpack and pull out her cellphone. She pressed a random number on the speed dial, hit the button marked 'talk' and continued her trek home.

" _Sup_ , _man_?"

"Evan," Meadow breathed, "Hey, what's up?"

" _Not much_ ," Evan sighed, " _I should be doing an essay for English, bu_ t… _you know_."

"I don't actually," Meadow laughed, "Usually, I'm a good student."

" _Usually_?" Evan drawled out. Meadow could hear the surprise and approval in his voice, " _What did you do_?" he was grinning.

"I'm ditching school," Meadow felt bad just saying it, "I couldn't take it anymore, it was driving me crazy."

" _That's awesome_!" Evan practically shouted. He laughed, " _You don't play do you_ , _Doe_?"

"Calm down, Spyke," Meadow said, "It's only two classes and it's not going to be a regular thing. Just today."

" _Suuuure_ ," Evan drawled out, " _Lemme know if you need some tips on how to survive detention_."

Meadow shook her head, "That's not something to be proud of, Evan," she chastised, "Really, you should-

" _Ugh_ ," Evan cut her off with a loud, dramatic groan, " _Man_ , _you sound like Auntie O_. _Bogus_."

Meadow smiled, "All right, all right," she relented, "How's everything over there?"

" _Fine_ ," Evan sounded bored, " _The Brotherhood have been pretty quiet, school is lame_ , _DR sessions are brutal_ ," his voice dropped to a whisper, " _Scott says it's because Logan misses you so much_."

" _What was that Porcupine_!?"

" _Gotta go_ , _Doe_ ," Evan said frantically, " _Bye_!"

"B-" the line clicked dead before she could finish and she sighed, closing the phone and slipping it back into her pocket.

She was walking along the highway, now and it was starting to rain again. Hesitating for half a second, she fell into a nice jog and then a full run. The sooner she got to Charlie's house, the sooner she could mediate and work out before getting scolded by Charlie.

After running for awhile, she slowed down to a walk, trying to catch her breath. Things were starting to look familiar and she tried her best to recall the address or even the street where she now lived.

"Are you kidding me?" she huffed, pink-cheeked as it started to rain harder, "I better not be lo—ahhhh."

She fell, throwing her hands out last minute and scraping her palms against the concrete. She laid there for a moment, groaning at the slight sting, the knees of her jeans soaking through.

"Meow."

Something nudged against her head and Meadow pushed herself up to her knees, glaring at what had tripped her. It was a cat with auburn red fur and yellow eyes.

"You're not the Kitty I was hoping to see," she mumbled, irritated.

"Meow," the cat nudged itself against Meadow's hand, purring.

"Hi, there," Meadow scratched the cat atop its head, "What are you doing out here? It's raining, stupid."

The cat only blinked before it yawned and Meadow stood up, still looking at it. There was no sign of a collar, but the cat looked rather clean.

"Go back home," she told it, petting it one last time, "Your owner's are probably looking for you."

She continued on her way, squeaking when she tripped again. She sighed and knelt down, "No, cat, I have to go. It's cold and it's raining. Don't you have somewhere to go?"

"Meow," the cat meowed pathetically.

"Ugh," Meadow moved to scratch the cat behind its ears. Based on the meowing, she was sure it was a female cat. There was no point in hurrying, now. She was soaked, as was the cat.

"Do you want to come home with me, then?" she mumbled. She scooped the cat into her arms and straightened up, "Come on, then. We'll get you dried off and maybe your owners will put up some posters for you."

Meadow had no idea if having pets was allowed. She had never had a pet before, not even a fish and she wondered how long she could hide the cat before Charlie or Bella saw her. She would have to find a way to work up to it. For now, she would need to bathe the cat, feed her, and find some kind of litter box.

"Meow," the cat shifted in Meadow's hold.

"Almost there," Meadow promised, assuming the cat to be cold, "Don't worry, I know it's cold."

It took another fifteen minutes to find the house and by the time she had made it to the front door, she was shivering, her fingers numb as she fumbled through her backpack for the house key she had been given.

The house was only slightly warmer on the inside and it was a welcoming silence that Meadow relished. She managed to lock the door behind her and went upstairs to her room, setting the cat down on the floor.

"Stay there," she commanded when the cat moved, "I'll get you some food and water. If you have to use the bathroom, Bella's room is across the hall," she laughed at her own joke, but stopped abruptly and left her room.

"Talking to a cat," she mumbled to herself, "I'm completely losing it."

She stripped off her jacket and her shirt in the process of going to the kitchen, leaving her clad in her black bra. She swung the clothes over her shoulder and opened one of the bright cabinets, grabbing two plastic bowls before going over to the fridge and retrieving a water bottle as well as some leftover chicken from the dinner she had made last night.

She kicked the fridge closed with her foot, all hands full and went back upstairs, struggling not to drop everything. When she made it to her room, she narrowed her eyes at what she saw.

"Hey, get off my bed," she demanded, glaring at the cat, "You're all dirty and who knows how many bugs are in your fur. Here, I brought you some food."

She set out the bowls and dumped chicken into the first one, twisting the cap off the water bottle and pouring half into the second, chugging the rest herself.

"There you go, eat up," she set the empty chicken container and the empty water bottle on her dresser, "I'm going to shower and you're going to stay here."

Just as she had gathered a pair of pajamas and sent a few text messages to Kitty and Rogue, she heard the front door open and slam, startling both her and the cat.

" _Meadow Elise Swan_!"

The anger radiating from downstairs caused Meadow to wince and she sighed heavily. Fan-freakin'-tastic. She wondered if the school had called Charlie away from work, thinking that she was going out to rob a bank or start miscellaneous fires.

" _I know you're home_ , _young lady_!"

"Stay here," Meadow whispered, tugging her pajama shirt over her head, "I'll be right back."

She fought to keep the smirk off her face as she left her room shutting the door. She was the embarrassment of the family. The daughter that had been sent away and was never supposed to return and if she did, she should have been molded to fit the reform that was expected of her. She should have come back docile, quiet, and obedient.

But that's not what happened and she was sure as hell not going to let it happen now. No, Meadow didn't take things lying down. Especially not from people that had the gall to take her away from her family.


	5. Chapter V

Meadow jerked awake to the feeling of a sharp prick in the crook of her arm, a gasp fell from her lips. She felt something shift on the bed and fumbled to turn on the lamp, whipping her head around when she had done so and startled by the small bead of blood on her arm.

"Meow."

Meadow blinked and brought up her hands to rub the sleep out of her eyes, jumping when she felt the same sting on her side. She removed her hands and saw the cat she had yet to name, purring and digging her paws into her side.

"Ow, you're kneading," Meadow jumped again, "Ow, stop that!" gently, she pushed the cat away, "Don't."

Meadow yawned widely, satisfied when the cat hopped off her bed to go to her water bowl, "Good girl," Meadow yawned, turning her head again, "What time is it?"

The clock flashed 7:55AM and she stared at the numbers for a moment. She must have forgotten to set her alarm and she needed to be at school, in her first period class by 8:15AM.

She pursed her lips, glancing at the computer on her desk before she stood up. She felt weird, depressed almost and she debated whether or not to stay home and try school again the next day. Maybe she would "convince" Charlie to let her do online school. No, she couldn't do that. As tempting as that idea was, she wasn't supposed to use her powers that way. She knew better.

Decision made, she sighed heavily and got up to pick out her clothes for the day.

Another pair of jeans, a plain navy long-sleeved shirt, and her combat boots made up her outfit. She wasn't sure how she described her fashion sense. She definitely wasn't as girly as Kitty, but she wasn't as goth as Rogue. Meadow supposed she was somewhere in the middle, but perhaps the dreariness of Forks was wearing on her and simple was what currently worked.

"Meow."

Meadow looked down when the cat nudged against her legs and she bent down briefly to pet her.

"You have to stay here," she commanded, grabbing her toiletries from atop her dresser, "I'll be at school, but I'll be back soon. You still have food and water from last night and I'll change it once I get home, okay? Stay. Good girl."

She left her room, shutting the door behind her and going to the bathroom. While in the shower, she took note of the faint emotions she could pickup downstairs. Charlie, Bella, Alice, and Edward as usual. God, didn't the two Cullen siblings have a home of their own to go to?

After her shower, she dried off and dressed, still combing her hair as she returned to her room to get her backpack and put on her leather jacket. She was really in a hurry now. Her showers were always long even when she tried to make them short. That was the problem of having long curly hair.

Quickly, she laid out some newspaper for the cat, cracked her window for fresh air and left her room, slipping her cellphone into her jeans and jogging down the stairs at the same time she French braided her hair.

She pinned back a few wisps of it with bobby pins and rubbed her damp hands on her jeans just as she entered the kitchen. She could feel her defensive wall coming up when all eyes turned to her.

"Good morning, Meadow," Alice greeted from her place at the table, bubbly and confident as ever.

"Morning," Meadow muttered, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. She rolled her eyes and took a seat at the table, turning the apple over in her hands before she twisted off the stem. She made no other move to eat it.

"Hey, Meadow?" Bella said timidly, squeezing her eyes shut.

Meadow flicked her eyes up, "What?" she demanded.

"Um," Bella opened her eyes, glancing at Edward who squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Ah, I-I know you like candles…and stuff and—well, there's this shop in Port Angeles that sells…that. Candles, crystals, and dream catchers. I didn't mean to find it, I was looking for a bookstore, actually," she quickly cut off her rambling, patches of pink on her cheeks, "So…"

Meadow opened her mouth and then closed it again, staring at Bella. She wanted to be rude and snap at her, but resisted the urge to do so as she thought back on the Professor's words. She needed to be the bigger person, despite her hatred. It was a test of her control. A step in the right direction. She would be devastated if the Professor was disappointed in her for not making an effort.

"Oh," she finally said, her face controlled. She blinked, her vision wavering, "Okay…thank you? Maybe you could…take me? Er, we could go together when y-

…

…

…

"Meadow? Meadow! Meadow, can you hear me!?"

She was dizzy, exhausted, and confused all at the same time, forcing her eyes to flutter open slowly. Everything was all blurry and she frowned as her jumbled brain tried to make sense of the images her eyes were sending. What was happening? Where was she? Had her alarm gone off or had Evan and Kurt messed with it again? They were always trying to find someway to prank her. One time, she had woken up on a giant floaty in the middle of the pool. A few windows had been broken when her shocked scream pierced the late midnight air.

"Alice, Angel, get her some water, please," a faraway voice pleaded.

A cold hand cupped Meadow's face, lifting her head up slightly and she blinked a few times, her eyes finally clearing only to focus on a pair of liquid gold. The icy hand stroked her face.

"Meadow, it's Edward," he said, sounding worried, "Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

Having somewhat come to her senses, Meadow tried to weakly shrug out of Edward's grip, but a pair of hands held her fast, keeping her from moving too much.

"Don't even think about it," Charlie came into her line of vision, his hand on her back, "Meadow?"

"I-I'm fine," Meadow whispered. She cleared her throat, forcing more energy into her voice, "I'm fine. Now, g-get off of me," she made no other attempts to move.

"I think you just fainted," Alice said, frowning. She held out a glass of water, "Do you remember feeling dizzy?"

Meadow paused. Did she?

"I'm f-fine," she repeated firmly. She scooted her chair backwards and stood up, failing to shake off Edward's hand that had dropped down to her shoulder.

"Take it easy, Meadow," Charlie frowned, reaching out again, "Why don't you stay home? I'll call Dr. Cullen."

"No," Meadow shook her head. She didn't accept any type of medical treatment unless it was at the institute. Doctors or hospitals usually meant blood draws and anyone getting a hold of her blood was dangerous if they took the time to see the extra genes, "No doctors. Now, get off!" she finally jerked out of Edward's grip, stumbling a little, "Leave me alone!"

"Watch your tone, young lady!" Charlie snapped, fed up. His eyes softened when Bella gasped, but he remained steadfast, "Now, I've put up with your little attitude since you've arrived, but I'm not going to let it jeopardize your health. That's where I put my foot down."

"Well, good for you!" Meadow snapped back. She wavered, grasping the back of the chair to steady herself. The emotions that hit her weren't helping and only served to increase the dizziness as she tried to force them back. What the hell was wrong with her? She had never felt like this before.

"Edward!" Bella cried in warning, wanting desperately to get up and help her sister.

Edward caught Meadow just as she collapsed again and fell to his knees, lowering her to the floor, "I've got her," he said, reassuring the others in the room.

Charlie's face paled, forgetting his anger and made a move towards the phone, "Maybe I should call an ambulance."

"Dad, she probably just needs rest," Bella told him, looking up. She hated hospitals too, "Have her stay home and maybe Carlisle can come over and look at her."

"Yeah, but I don't want her alone and I can't take the day off," Charlie huffed, a deep frown on his face, "And you kids have school."

Alice perked up, ignoring Edward's death stare, "Don't worry, Charlie. I have an idea!"

* * *

Jasper sat in the armchair, his gold eyes flicking back and forth between Meadow's still form and the television that was muted and on some kind of news channel. There had been a small earthquake somewhere. Nothing that he needed to be concerned about.

His eyes went over to Meadow again and he sighed. He had been getting ready to attend another tiresome day of school, preparing to endure the constant burning of his throat when Alice had called his cellphone, sounding both worried and oddly chipper as she explained that Meadow had collapsed twice, was ill, and was not trusted to stay home alone and take it easy per request of Charlie Swan.

Apparently, he had been offered as the person who would sit and take care of her, with promises that Carlisle would stop by and look her over. Much like her sister, Meadow seemed to have an aversion to hospitals.

Jasper was somewhat annoyed with Alice, though the feeling hadn't lasted long. The pixie-like vampire had been so cryptic lately. Even more so when she discovered the loopholes in her vision. It turned out, Alice could …sort of see Meadow through watching other people. It's wasn't much, but it was something. Maybe the young Swan did have a future after all.

He checked the clock on the wall. Unlike his "twin", brother, and father, he had no experience whatsoever with human medicine or ailments and had no idea how to care for Meadow. He supposed it wouldn't be that hard if she continued to sleep and there was a bright side for him. By watching over Meadow, he hoped it would lessen the hovering and concern his family constantly had around him. Yes, it was appreciated and he was grateful, but it wasn't always necessary.

The sudden sound of creaking caused Jasper to look up at the ceiling, his brow furrowed. As soon as the creaking had come it stopped. That was odd.

He sniffed the air as he stood up in one fluid motion. There was a scent he didn't recognize. Almost off like Meadow's was. He could also hear a heartbeat and someone breathing. Who was-

"Mmm."

The groan coming from the person on the couch stopped Jasper short and he immediately went to her side, crouching down and placing a hand on her blanket covered arm. His eyes searched her face, taking note of the crease between her eyes and the fluttering of her eyelids.

"Meadow?" he moved his hand when she shifted and he scooted back a little as not to frighten her.

"Mmm," she groaned again, her eyes opening fully and taking in her surroundings.

"Hey," Jasper greeted quietly, when her eyes landed on him. He reached out with his own emotions to help rouse her, "Can you he—whoa!"

She had shot up from her position on the couch, almost headbutting him in the process. If he hadn't moved at the last second, she would have shattered her skull. Her emotions had shifted drastically to her usual defensiveness with a lilt of fear.

"What are you doing!?" she cried, her eyes narrowed and her voice scratchy.

"You need to relax," Jasper said seriously. He held out his hands in case she collapsed, "You're sick."

"What and you're a doctor?" Meadow challenged sarcastically, blinking past the dizziness, "Right."

It took a lot for Jasper to ignore the current burn in his throat as he took a deep breath to calm himself. Besides now, he had two previous encounters with Meadow Swan and both had been short and interesting. With both encounters, he had come to two conclusion. One, being that she was a very private and guarded individual who hid behind a false and rude bravado that he had already called her out on.

The second conclusion he had come to, was that despite the first conclusion, he found Meadow to be absolutely infuriating and he had no idea why. It was almost like a watered down version of Rosalie minus the extreme narcissism and selfishness. There was something about the brunette that bothered him and believe it or not, it wasn't her terrible attitude. It was something else. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I'm not a doctor," he said evenly, "But my father is and he'll be arriving later this afternoon to check on you, okay?"

Meadow wasn't convinced and shook her head, tossing the blanket aside and swinging her legs over the edge of the couch. Her shoes had been removed, leaving her in her white socks.

"No," she said, "No, I don't need a doctor. I-

"You," Jasper interrupted, his eyebrows drawing upward, "Collapsed twice in a very short time frame and have been unconscious for almost an hour. Do you understand how serious that may be?"

"Do you understand the meaning of overreaction?" Meadow shot back, sneering. She pushed herself to her feet, glaring when Jasper did the same and removed her leather jacket, hanging it over the couch, "I _don't_ need you hovering over me."

Jasper couldn't help but smirk at that and he gave the slightest shake of his head.

"What?" Meadow frowned.

"Nothing," Jasper assured. He looked up at the ceiling, "Is there someone else here? I heard something earlier."

Meadow copied his gaze and she hesitated, "...It's nothing," she finally said. She walked past him, going to the kitchen, "Excuse me."

Jasper watched her go, passing a hand through his hair before he followed, having noticed the waver in her step. He folded his arms and leaned on the counter, watching her tear apart chicken and fish to place in a bowl.

"When's the last time you ate something?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said tiredly, "My minds been sort of scrambled, okay?"

"What about water?" he pushed, "Sleep? Are you still jet-lagged?"

He could smell the dehydration and low sugars in her blood and knew she hadn't been consuming anything. By the dark circles under her eyes, he could guess that she wasn't sleeping well either.

Meadow rolled her eyes again, going to the sink to fill up another bowl with water, "Are you done with the twenty questions?"

Jasper was remarkably calm and collected when he spoke, giving no tell that his patience was wearing thin, "No one else besides you, me, and whatever you have taking refuge in your room right now, is in this house. So, why don't you-

The vase that sat by the phone, cracked and shattered, sending shards of glass and tons of blue marbles spilling noisily all over the floor.

Meadow let out a small scream as she fell, the bowl falling from her fingers and panic flitting across her face.

Cursing internally, Jasper darted over, falling to a crouch and catching her right before she hit the mess. He could feel her anxiety and did his best to soothe it, the racing of her heart having him uneasy at the fact that it might beat out of her chest and the worry that she could be bleeding literally caused him to not breathe.

"Meadow?" he asked frantically, "Are you all right?"

Meadow tensed in his arms and her eyes flew open, meeting his for a brief moment. She sighed heavily, "What psycho fills a freaking _glass_ vase with marbles and just leaves it lying around?"

Jasper used a light chuckle to mask his concern and straightened up, the marbles crunching into dust under his feet. He moved away to a clear spot on the floor and set Meadow down.

"Are you all right?" he asked again, "Did you get hurt or cut?" he touched her arm. She wasn't even wearing shoes.

"Really, I'm fine," Meadow said shortly, "I'm not hurt. Er, thank you for catching me…again."

"Again," Jasper echoed in his pleasant Southern drawl. He dipped his head, "You're quite welcome. Where's the broom? I'll clean this up and make you something to eat."

Meadow bristled at that, "I don't _need_ you to cook for me," she grabbed the bowl filled with food and a water bottle from the fridge, "I can do it and I'll clean up. It's fine."

"You _need_ to rest," Jasper told her firmly, matching her tone and catching her arm just as she made a move to storm out, "What part of _you collapsed twice_ are you unable to comprehend? You need to eat, drink water, and _rest_!"

It wasn't until the last word left his mouth that he realized how loud he had been speaking if Meadow's wide-eyed stare was anything to go by. He pushed a wave of calm at her, taking away the irritation and fear she was feeling and he pursed his lips when the look of fear on her face only increased, her eyes looking as though they would pop out of her head.

"I—my greatest apologies," he said softly. He loosened his hold on her arm and her face relaxed, "I didn't mean to shout."

"You weren't shouting," Meadow whispered, looking him up and down. She cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the side, up at the ceiling, then back to Jasper, "Um, I-I have a stray cat trapped in my bedroom and I have to go feed her and give her water."

Jasper dropped his hand back down to his side, a hesitant smile twitching his lips, "Okay."

"Okay," she jabbed a thumb behind her, "I-I'll be right back. So…cook or do…whatever."

He nodded slowly, tensing when she whirled around, her warm scent hitting his face and making his throat burn. He took a small step forward, jumping when his cellphone rang.

' _Alice_ ,' he thought, not even glancing at the Caller ID before he accepted the call.

"Hello?" he mumbled.

" _Jasper_?" came Alice's frantic voice, " _What's going on_ , _are you behaving_? _I saw_ …" she trailed off.

He closed his eyes, "What did you see?"

On the other end, Alice sighed, " _It doesn't matter_ , _it disappeared_. _As soon as I called_ , _actually_."

"Alice," he begged, " _Please_."

" _Okay_ , _okay_ ," Alice relented. Her voice dropping to a volume that only he could hear, " _I saw Meadow as one of us_. _Clearer than I've ever seen her_."

"Alice-

" _You would have stopped_ ," Alice promised, sincerely confident, " _And that's completely and absolutely_ _ **wonderful**_ , _Jasper_. _The fact that you would have_ _ **stopped**_ _is something to be proud of_. _I wouldn't even be able to do that_. _But it's all right_ , _now_. _It's not going to happen_ , you're fine."

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked.

Alice gasped dramatically, " _Are you doubting my gift_ , _Jasper_?"

Jasper forced himself to laugh, still uneasy, "No, of course not. But…"

" _I know_ ," Alice said soothingly, " _I know_ , _Jazz_ , but you'll be fine. _You hunted before you arrived_. _Honestly_ , _you have much more control than you give yourself credit for_. _Have more faith in yourself_."

"…" Jasper said nothing, focusing more on the noise coming from upstairs.

Alice laughed. A sound that usually sounding musical, sounded mischievous and plotting, " _I'll let you go_ , _now_. _I love you_."

Jasper smiled widely. From the outside, most people assumed to two to be dating, but that was far from the truth. Yes, Alice sometimes held his hand and they told each other 'I love you'. He had even kissed her on the head a couple of times, but their relationship was completely platonic. They were best friends, each others rock. Because of Alice, Jasper had a life he could only dream of and he owed his favorite sister the world.

"I love you too," he told her, "Bye, doll."

" _Bye_."

The line disconnected and he slipped the phone back into his pocket, leaving the kitchen in search of the broom and dustpan.

By the time he had finished sweeping everything up, Meadow was on her way downstairs and she came back into the kitchen looking tired and frazzled.

"Hello," he greeted casually, shaking the dustpan into the trash, "You were gone awhile. Are you okay?"

Meadow scowled, tossing her braid over her shoulder, "I'm fine."

Jasper shook his head, making a sound of amusement, "Yes, of course you are. I don't know why I ask."

Meadow bit her lip, "I don't know why either."

He eyed her for a moment and gestured to the table, "You should really sit down. I'm worried that you'll faint again. You need to eat and your body needs rest."

Seeming to remember the earlier exchange, she nodded quickly and went to take a seat without complaint.

She bounced her leg under the table and spoke up, "Um, there's juice and drinks in the fridge, leftovers from dinner are in the clear containers with blue-

"Meadow, Meadow," he cut her off gently, holding up a hand, "Relax," he sent out a wave of calm.

His gift didn't seem to be helping like it usually did, because she tensed for the briefest second.

"Jasper," the way she uttered his name came out as a plea and he backed off a little, wondering if he was overwhelming her with his gift. Some, he noticed, were more sensitive to it than others.

"What is it?" he asked her, filling up a glass with water, "What's wrong?"

"Um," her voice shook and she cleared her throat, in control once more, "D-don't you have school?"

"I can miss a day," Jasper placed the glass down in front of her, "Drink this, it'll help. Besides, there's only a couple of months left," he shrugged, then tapped the table with his hand, a habit he had picked up from Carlisle to appear more human, "Now, what would you like to eat?"

He searched Meadow's emotions, finding nothing but—well nothing. She was completely guarded just like her piercing blue eyes.

"I don't know," she mumbled, taking a sip from the glass.

Jasper arched a single eyebrow, "What's wrong?" he asked again.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Nothing! Why are you even here? I'm not six, I can take care of myself. I don't need you babying me."

Jasper got up, ignoring the hope that Meadow was now feeling and going over to one of the cabinets to pull out a plate. He would make her soup. Something simple.

"You don't need me babying you and you can take care of yourself," Jasper agreed with her words, "But your father-

"Charlie," she corrected.

Jasper nodded, "Charlie was worried and as I said earlier, it was either this or a trip to the hospital. I can take you there, if that's what you would prefer."

Meadow flushed and she shook her head, "No."

"Okay, then," Jasper let the irritation leak into his voice and opened a can of clam chowder, "The soup will be ready soon."

"I'm sorry," Meadow lifted her head, "Jasper, I apologize for being so awful to you. You don't deserve it, you're just trying to help. I'm usually not like this, honestly. It's just…" she floundered for words.

"It's all right," Jasper assured her, "You were removed from what you identify as your home and you feel betrayed, sad, and angry. Now you're here, in a small town, with a family you can't stand and where everyone compares you to your older sister or judges you due to a past they don't understand."

Meadow was bewildered and she busied herself with finishing the glass of water before she pushed it away and licked her lips.

"She's not my sister," she said, tapping her fingers against the glass, "But, yes. That's exactly it. Is it obvious?"

Jasper managed a small smile, "No, I suppose I'm a good guesser, good at reading people. That and you told me how much you hate being compared to Bella."

Meadow bit her lip, "Don't you?" she asked quietly.

Jasper turned to look at her, confused, "What?"

"Don't you hate being compared to your siblings?" she clarified, "Your twin?"

Jasper blinked a few times. It was a simple yes or no question, but he found himself unable to answer it. He was standing too still, he knew that. No one had ever asked him such a thing.

"I'm sorry," Meadow flushed, turning her head away, "Was that too personal? You don't have to answer."

"No," Jasper choked out, "No, it wasn't too personal. You simply caught me by surprise."

"Oh."

It was silent and Jasper filled it by replacing Meadow's glass of water with a glass of apple juice.

"For your blood sugar," he told her, checking the timer on the microwave, "And you need the fluids."

Surprisingly, she drank it without a single word and five minutes later, he was sitting with her at the table as she lingered over a steaming bowl of soup.

She looked at him, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I ate a sandwich while you were upstairs," he supplied, drumming his fingers on the table again.

"Oh."

Jasper took the second silence to observe Meadow as she ate. Her posture was perfectly straight, her shoulders tense. He could see faint scarring on her neck and knew he could only see them due to his supernatural eyesight. He could see a few more on her hands and one on her cheek and wondered where they had come from.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Blue eyes met gold and Jasper cocked his head to the side.

"I was thinking," he told her. He gestured to the bowl, "Is the soup to your liking?"

"It's-

-Fine," he finished for her, laughing softly when she flushed, "Yes, I thought it would be."

Meadow smiled, but he noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Yes," he said suddenly.

She looked at him, "What?"

"Yes," he said again, "I do hate being compared to my siblings. It's not something that feels good, especially when you worry that you may not be able to live up to them."

Meadow nodded slowly, "What do you do, then?"

"I don't hold it against them," Jasper mused, "They love me and I realized they don't do it to be cruel. In fact, I aspire to be more like my siblings. At least, in certain aspects."

"Hmm," Meadow hummed, "I see."

"Do you?" Jasper pushed, speaking slowly as to not anger her, "Aspire to be like your sis—Bella? Even just a little bit?"

She snorted slightly, stirring the soup, "No, no I don't."

"Ahh, I suppose they're different situations," Jasper muttered, "Take those you do consider your siblings. The other students from your school. What then?"

Meadow smiled widely and she laughed, shaking her head.

"It would be the same, I think," she said, still smiling, "I don't get compared to them often, but in situations where comparison is brought up, usually it's in a place of love, in hopes that it will help me grow. You really can't compare us, though. We're all completely different."

Jasper nodded knowingly and it was silent again. He allowed Meadow to linger over her soup for a few moments.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. He hadn't checked her pulse, temperature or anything and was wondering if he should, "Be honest, please,"

"Tired," she told him, "I'll probably sleep some more."

Jasper looked at the clock, "That's a good idea. Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, standing up to bring her dishes to the sink.

He stopped her, "Let me do that. Go lie down."

She bit her lip, but otherwise did as she was told, retreating back to the couch and taking a seat.

"Jasper?" she called hesitantly.

"Hm?" he mumbled, looking at her.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "For…this. I know I'm not the easiest person to be around and I know that I get under your skin."

"Oh?" Jasper asked from his place at the sink, "Where did you come to that an assumption?"

She rolled her eyes, "It's not an assumption. You can't stand me."

Jasper frowned. _Unable to stand her_ weren't exactly the words he would use, "I can assure you, that is not the case. I'm sorry to disappoint."

Meadow, who had been about to lie down, sat up, "Excuse me?"

"That's what you want, isn't it?" he looked at her, unblinking, "To push people away until they give up on you so that you can say-

"You don't know anything about me!" Meadow exclaimed, standing up, "I don't know who you think you are, or where you get off telling me what I want or what I do-

"But it's all right for _you_ to tell _me_ how I feel regarding your presence?" Jasper interrupted, oddly calm, "That's okay?"

Meadow clenched her fists, pursing her lips, "You can go now."

"Meadow-

"Leave," she said firmly, jerking her chin towards the door, "Get out, I don't _want_ you here."

Jasper nodded curtly, "Very well. My father-

"Yeah, I know," she refused to look at him, "I'll let him in when he comes."

Jasper took a moment to stare at her. It was obvious that she was holding back tears, trying not to cry and he was tempted to ask what was making her feel that way or even get her a box of tissues from the bathroom upstairs.

But he didn't. No, instead, he filled another glass with water, placed it on the table and told her to take care of herself and rest. He left the house, touching Meadow's shoulder on the way out, ignoring the hurt both he and she felt when she jerked away from him.

* * *

"Look here."

Reluctantly, Meadow followed Carlisle Cullen's finger as he shone a penlight in her eyes. Much like his children, the doctor was very beautiful. His medium frame was well-toned and he was tall, standing 6'2". His warm and gentle eyes were gold, going perfectly with his pale skin and collar-length blonde hair.

"Do _they_ have to be here?" she mumbled, looking pointedly at Bella, Alice, and Edward.

Charlie sighed. It had been a long shift, one spent being worried for his youngest, "Meadow..."

"I'm sorry, am I being rude?" Meadow gasped, faking a horrified expression, "Excuse me for not wanting an audience while I get a check-up."

Charlie, looking tired, addressed the trio, "Why don't you guys take a seat at the table, put your feet up? Bell, I don't want you standing too much, anyway."

"Thank you," Meadow breathed. She rolled her eyes, "Pardon the strain and emotional trauma that apparently caused you."

Charlie's eyes widened, but he held off yelling at her until his face turned purple. He would do so when Dr. Cullen gave him the okay that she was all right. He didn't want to be the cause of another one of her fainting episodes.

"Meadow," Carlisle called her attention, in his lovely British lilt, "Was there any chest pain or feeling of your heart racing before or after you fainted?"

She shook her head, "No."

Carlisle looked up at Charlie from where he knelt on the ground, "Any tremors or seizures afterwards?"

Charlie visibly paled,"N-no," he stuttered.

"That's good," Carlisle pressed his fingers to the inside of Meadow's wrist, "Anymore fainting, today? I haven't had a chance to speak to Jasper."

Meadow pursed her lips at hearing the name. After she had demanded that the blonde leave her house, she had sat on the couch and cried for fifteen minutes. It was a bad and sometimes embarrassing habit of hers. She cried when she got mad or stood up for herself.

And then after crying, she had fallen asleep, only to be awoken by the arrival of Carlisle and the others.

"Meadow," Carlisle shook her shoulder, "Are you okay? You spaced out a bit."

"Oh," she gasped slightly, "Yeah, I was just thinking. Um, there's been no more fainting. Really, I feel totally fine, now."

"Good," Carlisle praised, "Did you eat today? Drink any fluids?"

"Yes."

"And how's that been since your arrival to Forks?" Carlisle asked.

"It's…been okay," Meadow told him, flushing, "Could be better."

"Could be better in the sense as you haven't been?" Carlisle pushed with a small smile. At her sheepish nod, he spoke, "Then that's what I suspect was the cause of your fainting."

"Twice?" Charlie asked anxiously, "She fainted twice."

"If you'd like to be sure, I can draw some blood-

"No!" Meadow cried, both interrupting and startling Carlisle.

"Meadow!" Charlie scolded.

"No," she shook her head, "No blood tests. I don't—it's not happening."

Carlisle, calm as always, regarded her carefully, concerned about her outburst, "Are you scared of needles?"

"Mmhm," Meadow nodded, though she wasn't, "Blood too, it's all just a giant mess. Look, are we done?"

The television flickered and she pursed her lips reigning in her panic by taking a deep breath. It was okay, she was fine. Nothing to get worked up over. She supposed the blood thing was her being paranoid of a worst care scenario, but she could never be too careful.

"I think I'll live," she addressed Carlisle, speaking softly, "I just need to eat more, drink fluids, and rest, right?"

Carlisle smiled, but he looked uneasy, "Right. Though, I would like to check back with you in a few days."

"Great, that's perfect," she mumbled, standing up, "Thank you, Dr. Cullen, I really appreciate it."

With that, she ran off, ignoring the fact that she could hear both Bella and Charlie apologizing for her bad behavior.

She went to her room, closed the door, and locked it, ignoring the cat who meowed for her attention as she fumbled for her cellphone on the desk. Technically, she wasn't supposed to have it. After skipping school and getting into a heated argument with Charlie, she had been grounded for two weeks. She didn't really care. She had no friends and Charlie couldn't take away a cellphone that he didn't know she possessed.

Having managed to flip open her cellphone, she opened up a new message, selected Kitty's name and began to type: ' _Tell the Professor that I'll call him when I have a moment alone_. _We need to talk_. I _t's important_.'

Satisfied, she sent the message and closed the phone, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It had been a rough day and she desperately needed to meditate before she brought the whole house down.

She was an Empath. She was extremely good at what she did, she knew that for a fact.

That's why she knew when someone else was manipulating her emotions. That particular someone being Jasper _freaking_ Hale.

* * *

Just down the hall, in the West bedroom of the Swan house, Edward lay with Bella curled carefully in his arms, his hand stroking her hair fondly as he hummed her special lullaby, his thoughts couldn't help but wander over to the youngest Swan who occupied that last room in the house.

Meadow was still awake, he knew that. He could hear her setting up the colorful array of candles that she was so fond of and speaking softly to the stray cat she had taken in. She didn't sleep much, spending most of the night meditating. She would need new candles soon. He had been the one slip into her room and blow them out after she had fallen asleep the only a few hours before her first day of school.

When he had first learned of Bella's sister, he had been shocked to the point he thought his still heart might start beating again. Not once had Bella ever mentioned a sister. Neither had Charlie or Bella's mother, Renee who Edward had the pleasure of meeting in March. It was like Meadow just materialized out of thin air. A bomb dropping. The pictures of Meadow hadn't even been put up until the day she arrived; which he found strange.

Meadow being here was…a little straining, so far. However, he, like Alice was trying to befriend her (in a less bubbly and enthusiastic way) as he wanted Bella's family to like him and accept him. It was also in hopes of helping Bella build the sisterly relationship she so desperately wanted with Meadow. But clearly, Meadow wasn't open to it. In fact, did it seem like Meadow couldn't stand him, but it was clear as day that she couldn't stand Bella and he wasn't sure why. Bella couldn't recall ever doing anything to offend her. Up until Meadow had left for school, the two had gotten along and like Bella, he couldn't recall ever offending Meadow in the short time she had been in Forks, but then again, he had no way to know for sure.

He couldn't read Meadow's thoughts.

He had suspected the possibility, but this was different. With Bella, it was just silent. Nothing. And he was okay with that, now, preferring his Bella just the way she was.

With Meadow, he wished it was only silent. Trying to read her mind caused a great headache that had him gritting his teeth. Sometimes, he thought he had caught one of her thoughts, but when he tried to listen he only got the same silence and same headache. It was very frustrating. Like hitting his head against a wall harder than his own skin.

His attempts to make small talk with her while he walked with her to English class and sat beside her weren't going too well either. Besides her first day, he hadn't been able to get more than a short sentence out of her and he could tell that it made Bella sad. She was so excited to have her sister back after the estrangement and after the incident where Meadow had collapsed, Bella had been distraught at school all day, looking as though she would burst into tears at any moment.

Edward sighed softly, ghosting his lips across Bella's forehead. Her sister was definitely an enigma. Especially with the way she carried herself and reacted to certain things. The way she had cried out when Carlisle suggested a blood draw was surprising. He had seen the fear ignite her eyes as though someone had suggested the death sentence before she ran off and locked herself away in her room.

He was concerned about Meadow, not only about her physical state, but her mental state as well. Which in turn had him worried for Bella, though he was always worried about her. He loved her so much—had been willing to fight his family for her and he would do anything to protect her. Did that include keeping her away from her sister if he felt it was necessary? Probably.

He'd speak to his family about it first before coming to that decision. It will been a brief discussion, but they had yet to have an official family meeting regarding the sudden stall in both his and Alice's gifts and now appointing Jasper to keep an eye on Meadow, fearful that the end of her life was near. Especially with the fainting episodes.

However, things were starting to change regarding Alice's gift. Slowly but surely. He had seen a few things in Alice's mind and knew __exactly__ how the loopholes in her visions worked and he was resisting the urge to laugh and poke fun, but that would come in due time.

"Meadow," Bella murmured, shifting slightly in her sleep as she muttered more in her sleep.

Edward sighed, moving his hand to stroke her arm. Meadow was definitely throwing them all into one hell of a chaotic and messy tailspin.


	6. Chapter VI

"This is fine, I'm fine and everything is going to be _fine_. I am powerful, I am _strong_ , and I can _do_ this!"

Meadow huffed out a breath, nodding at her reflection in the school bathroom mirror and firmly believing in her self-affirmations. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her outfit to busy her shaking hands. She regretted wearing a white top under her leather jacket, but it was too late to change now.

She had left the house rather early that morning—before the nonexistent sun came up, running through the forest, stretching, attempting flips, and even climbing trees to try and get in her exercise. She had been awoken by that cat kneading her arm again and wanting to play. She would really need to name it or at least find a shelter for it. The poor creature must be bored to tears being trapped in Meadow's room all day.

Meadow still hadn't been sleeping well and had yet to talk to the Professor about the meaning behind the cryptic text message she had sent Kitty. Until Meadow did, she was going to leave it alone and pretend like she knew nothing of what she knew. That was actually going to be the easy part.

The hard part was going to be apologizing. She felt bad about how she had acted towards Jasper. He probably thought she was some kind of unstable psycho and if she really thought about it, maybe she was.

She still felt weird. Not quite depressed…maybe depressed? Off? Did that work? Something like that.

Shaking her head frantically, she tried her best to clear out the invading thoughts. She was still feeling a bit ill, that had to be it—why she felt so disconnected. Usually a stress eater, she had been lacking proper nourishment since coming to Forks. She hadn't eaten dinner last night or breakfast that morning, despite telling Dr. Cullen she would start to do so.

"Hey, Meadow."

Brown eyes met blue in the finger print spotted mirror and Meadow forced a small smile, "Hey," she turned to face the girl, "Angela, right?"

Angela nodded as she pushed up her glasses, "Right, we met in the hallway. How are you? I haven't seen you these past few days."

"I've been sick," Meadow told her, "Charlie wanted me to take it easy, but I'm feeling much better. How are you?"

"Great," Angela said shyly. She looked behind her towards the entrance to the bathroom, "Are you going to come to lunch? Everyone really wants to meet you."

Meadow blanched, shifting back and forth on her feet, "I-I don't know…"

"Come on," Angela begged, clutching her books to her chest, "They're all really nice and it'll be better than having them hunt you down," she chuckled, "Which they _will_ do, I might add. Remember when I said we didn't get new students often?"

Meadow nodded, contemplating. She really didn't want to, but it's not like she had anywhere else to go. There was no food or drinks allowed in the library and she needed to eat. Sure, she could sit outside on the benches she had seen, but they were wet from the rain and she had no desire to walk around with a large wet spot on the back of her jeans.

"Okay," she bounced slightly on her toes, "Sure, thank you."

"Great," Angela beamed, "I'll lead the way."

"You kind of have to," Meadow followed behind the taller girl, immersing herself in Angela's emotions. The shyness was soothing, comforting and Meadow pushed out a little calm to add to it, her own shoulders relaxing.

"So," she stated conversationally, not wanting the silence, "What do you like to do around here? I haven't seen any malls or anything."

"Yeah," Angela said sheepishly, "There's not much, but it's a nice town. There's a beach on the local Rez and I spend a lot of time with my brothers or I study a lot. I-I'm on the soccer team, I-I guess."

Meadow's eyes widened, "No way, are you really?" she never would have taken Angela for the athletic type.

"Mmhm," Angela nodded, adjusting her glasses again, "But I'm not very good."

"I bet you're great!" Meadow disagreed, loving the talk of sports, "Otherwise, you wouldn't be on the team, right?"

Angela shrugged carelessly, "It's a small school and they needed players."

"Do you like it?" Meadow asked, "Have fun?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then that's what matters," Meadow said firmly. She sort of liked Angela, much to her annoyance.

"What about you?" Angela countered, wanting to deflect the focus from herself, "Do you like soccer?"

When Meadow spoke, she failed to keep the enthusiasm out of her voice, "I _love_ soccer! It's one of my favorite sports."

She regretted the words as soon as she said them, resisting the urge to sigh when Angela grinned impossibly wide, her face lighting up.

"You should join!" Angela prompted, "One of my friends—Jessica, she's the captain. She'll be at lunch, actually! You'll be able to meet her."

"I don't know, Angela," Meadow played with the end of her plait, becoming nervous as they approached the lunch table, crowded with teenagers, "I really-

"Meadow Swan!" a blue-eyed baby-faced blonde shouted, unknowingly interrupting her. He grinned, "What up?"

Meadow took a moment. The table seemed to be divided. At the extreme Southern end, sat Edward, Bella, Jasper and Alice, the couples sitting across from each other. Jasper looked pained, she noticed as he picked at his full tray and she hoped that he was all right. At the other side, sat, well, the rest of the teenagers, but there was a small space between them. As if there were some sort of invisible line that divided them. A line that no one dared cross.

It wasn't until her eyes scanned the cafeteria that she saw Rosalie and Emmett sitting somewhere else, both picking at their trays. What was that about?

The boy that had shouted at her, despite his cheerful appearance had some very odd emotions and she didn't stay with him for long. There was some loyalty and friendliness, but also some obsession, obnoxiousness, jealously...it went on and on.

She snapped out of her thoughts, leaving his emotions and took a seat when Angela urged her to before she went to stand in the lunch line. When Meadow acknowledged the boy, she didn't bother to hold out a hand or smile, put off by what he was feeling.

"Hi," she said, barely audible, "It's…nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Mike Newton," he said with a charming smile, "Why haven't I seen you around?"

"I've been sick," she flipped her braid behind her shoulder, "But I'm better, now."

"You've been sick for sixteen years?" Mike joked, chuckling a little awkwardly, "Like, no one's heard anything about you," his eyes went to the side, then back to her, "Like, _ever_."

Meadow was shocked that someone would just outright say something like that and she chose not to respond, getting out her lunch and water bottle.

"So, what kind of name is Meadow?" a boy with brown hair and brown eyes asked. He more tan than most and had an athletic build. He took a drink of his Gatorade, "That's a weird name."

Good God, what was _wrong_ with these people?

"Tyler," a girl with voluminous curly, dark brown hair and blue eyes hit his arm, "Oh my gosh, you can't just _say_ something like that," she lowered her voice—not by much, "What if she, like, burns your house down or something?"

"I am _right here_!" Meadow announced loudly, disbelief coloring her voice, "I can _hear_ you."

There was nothing pure with the girl's current emotions. Even searching through her usual emotional signature showed nothing but shallowness and jealously.

"Oh," the girl said flipping her hair. She rolled her eyes, "Well, like, isn't it true?"

"No!" Meadow said, irritated, "Why would it be?"

"Take a chill pill," a girl with long, cornsilk, blonde hair and green, fishy eyes scoffed, "It's really not that big of a deal. Dramatic much?"

"Bit of a jealous snob much?" Meadow snapped, allowing herself to be influenced by the blonde's negative emotions, though it was painful. It was clear to her that apparently, no one in Forks had the word 'boundaries' or 'manners' in their vocabulary.

"Ohhh," Tyler coughed into his fist, failing to hold back a snicker, "She got you good, Lauren."

"Shut up," Lauren snapped. She glared at Meadow, "You know what-

"Lauren," Bella spoke up, quiet, but annoyed, "Leave my sister alone." she blushed and looked away, one of her hands clutched in Edward's, "Stop being rude."

"Look at Bella, all high and mighty," Mike laughed before Meadow could speak and high-fived some other guy, "Nice."

At that moment, Angela returned, carrying her tray. She noticed the tension that set and frowned, "Everything okay?"

"Fine," a boy of Asian decent wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Ooh, fries."

"Ben," Angela sighed, but made no move to stop him. She looked at Jessica, confused by her best friend's expression, "Jess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jessica plastered a smile on her face, "We were all just introducing ourselves. Isn't that right, Meadow?"

Meadow nodded curtly, calming herself and easing the tension after glancing at Jasper, "Right."

"Oh?" Angela asked, noticing the way Lauren glared, "Well, Jess, did Meadow tell you she plays soccer?"

"No," something in Jessica's eyes flashed, "We didn't get around to it."

"You like sports?" Tyler asked hopefully.

Meadow nodded, unwrapping her roast beef sandwich, "I like sports," she confirmed, still wary.

"No way!" Tyler grinned, "Top three."

Meadow blushed, uncomfortable with the attention, "Um, I don't know. Ah, soccer, baseball, and…I don't know. Anything, really...I-I guess."

"Awesome!" Tyler took another swig of his Gatorade, "Did you watch the last baseball game on TV?"

"No," Meadow shook her head, still blushing, "There was some kind of auto show on."

"You like cars?" Alice spoke up, her eyes hopeful.

Meadow bit her lip, sparing her a glance as did everyone else, "Um, yeah."

"Do you actually _like_ cars?" Mike piped, vying for Meadow's attention, "Or do you just like the colors?"

A few guys at the table snickered and Meadow flicked her eyebrows up. Another note about Mike Newton: he was sexist. He would get along really well with Duncan Matthews.

"I actually _like_ cars," she scoffed, offended, "Motorcycles too, not that it's any of _your_ business."

Tyler, who was much nicer in his approach, leaned forward, "How'd you get into that?"

"I started helping a student at home clean and fix up his car," Meadow explained, thinking of Scott, "And then my d-" she paused. Would Logan be upset if she called him dad? She had never done it before, "Um, an instructor showed me the ropes and he owns a motorcycle."

"What kind?" Tyler challenged.

"It's a red and gold Harley-Davidson," Meadow popped a chip in her mouth, "With some custom modifications..."

"And you get to ride it?" an Asian boy with bad skin asked.

"Oh, no," Meadow chuckled, still lost in her memories and speaking more to herself, "No, I wish. He gets mad when I just look at it," she laughed, now, surprising a few people at the table, "But I still keep my hopes up."

"You're cute when you laugh," Tyler winked.

Meadow choked on her water, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Waves of jealousy from all sides of the table hit her and she pushed them back, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"T-thanks," she stuttered, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Quit it," Mike glared, socking Tyler in the arm, "That's Bella's sister."

Angela shook her head, rolling her eyes when the two began to argue. She turned to Meadow to whisper, "I think it's cool you do that. Cars and sports. It's usually male dominated."

"Thanks," Meadow's blush cooled down and she bit her lip, "I like motorcycles better, though."

"Really?" Angela giggled, "They're so fast. Aren't they scary?"

Meadow shook her head, managing a small smile, "No, I don't think so."

Angela returned the smile, nudging Meadow's shoulder, "You should come to one of our soccer practices. Tomorrow, after school."

"You should go, Meadow," Bella piped up, having overheard, "Try out for the team. I bet you'd be great."

Meadow regarded Bella for a moment, her eyes briefly meeting Edward's as he was always around Bella.

"I—thanks," she finally said.

"Are you even good?" Jessica demanded, smacking her lips.

Meadow flicked her eyebrows up, sick of Jessica's attitude, "Are you?"

Jessica pushed her tray away, "What's your problem? Can you even play sports here? Are you cleared? Have you done all your community service?"

"Jessica!" Angela hissed, "Oh my gosh, stop it! She doesn't have a criminal record!"

"She was sent to some disciplinary school," Jessica obnoxiously reminded the table, tossing her hair, "I mean, let's be real here. _Something_ is _wrong_ with her!"

The diet coke that Jessica had yet to open, exploded as did Lauren's. Screams and yells were let out as soda flew everywhere, like it was spraying from an out of control hose.

Meadow gasped loudly, her eyes widening before she winced. She looked over when she heard someone laugh and saw Jasper trying to cover it up by clearing his throat in the crook of his arm. He made eye contact with her and she looked away, hurriedly packing up her lunch.

"Mike," Jessica shrieked, arms held out to the side, "Did you do this!?"

"I didn't do anything!" Mike exclaimed, covered in soda as well, "I was sitting here, like you."

"Someone must have shaken them before you got them," Alice suggested, passing over napkins.

Jessica eyed her, "Yeah," she said in a clipped tone, taking them, "Maybe."

"I'll go get you guys some paper towels," Meadow said, "Be right back, kay?"

She was off before anyone could reply, unshed tears welled up in her eyes.

"See, Jess," Angela blotted off her shirt, cool and collected, "She's nice. You didn't have to be so rude."

"Whatever," Jessica rolled her eyes, "I was curious."

"Well, you could have asked her more politely," Angela stood up, crumpling up her napkin, "It really wasn't nice and you should be making her feel welcome. I'll get some more napkins from the cafeteria line. Be right back."

"I can't believe this," Lauren moaned, devastated, "Whoever did this is seriously going to pay!"

"Are you okay?" Edward asked quietly, fretting over Bella, "Did your cast get wet?"

"No," Bella shook her head, "I'm fine," she made a move to stand, "Help me up? I want to go check on Meadow. She seemed upset."

Alice perked up, speaking in a tone that only Bella and her brothers could hear, "I can do it, Bella."

Bella hesitated, remembering the many times Meadow had lashed out, "I don't know, Alice…"

"Come on," Alice moaned, begging, "I have to use the bathroom anyway," she winked and Jasper snickered, having remained mostly silent throughout the ordeal.

Bella looked exasperated, "Alice."

"You're going to let me," Alice chirped matter-of-factually, "So, you might as well give in," she tapped at an imaginary watch on her thin wrist, "We're wasting precious time here, Bella."

"Okay, okay," Bella relented, settling back against Edward, "Fine."

"Thank you," Alice kissed Bella's cheek, "Come on, Jasper."

"What?" Jasper looked at her, bewildered, "You need me to come with you?"

"Yes," Alice insisted cheerfully, "You can help calm her down. She doesn't hate you as much as she hates everyone else."

Edward, who had been playing with a lock of Bella's hair and murmuring to her softly, faltered for just a few seconds, a ghost of a smile playing on his full lips.

Jasper, who had long ago become an expert at ignoring his brother, kept his gaze on Alice, "What do you mean by that, Ali?"

"Not now. Later, I promise," Alice huffed, grabbing his wrist, "Come on. Precious time, remember?"

* * *

Meadow blew her nose; back in the bathroom she had been in not even an hour prior. She dabbed around her eyes with a wet paper towel to get the redness to go down. She couldn't believe she had done that. She was mortified, though thankfully no one knew it had been her.

She had been nothing but a complete and utter _mess_ since she had arrived in Forks. Fainting, breaking things, crying, yelling, and now causing beverages to explode.

"I need to get it together," she whispered to herself.

Not having daily sessions with Professor Xavier was harder than she thought it would be. She hadn't realized how much she relied on them. Not only that, but her meditation was constantly being interrupted by someone, unable to get in no more than twenty minutes. She had the option of waiting until everyone was asleep, but that was complicated.

Because Edward Cullen did not sleep unless he did so at the exact same time she did and that was doubtful. His emotions were intense and she could feel them even when she did her best to block him out. They were more intense than Rogue's emotions and that was saying something.

How the hell did Jasper do it? He seemed well at ease with it all and she sort of wished she could ask him, but she couldn't do that. She needed to talk to the Professor and get things under control before she jumped into someone else's business. Possibly being a mutant was a very sensitive and odd topic to bring up—a dangerous one as well.

And what about the rest of the Cullens? Were they a family of mutants who had chosen to hide out in a small town? A special type? She had yet to meet a mutant who didn't eat, sleep or ones that had cold skin. Even Logan with his multiple physical enhancements and endurance needed to sleep eventually.

She shook her head and wiped away more tears, not needing to worry about it. One conversation with the Professor and a look at Cerebro would tell her the answer she was looking for. Nonetheless, if the Cullens _were_ mutants, she would need to be a lot nicer to them. What if Magneto tried to get to them and they went because of how terrible she was? She needed to rethink her actions. What if-

"Stop it!" she hissed to herself, "Meadow, stop panicking. Don't overthink, it's fine. You'll talk to Prof-

"Meadow?"

Meadow jumped, her heart pounding, at the sudden voice coming from outside the bathroom. She tried to calm down, but struggled to do so and left the bathroom, hoping that Alice's calm emotions would soothe her panicked ones.

A small scream left her plump lips when she almost barreled into Alice, but she was saved from doing so when Jasper steadied her. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyeing her oddly.

"Great, yeah, fantastic," Meadow blurted, her face flushed, "Are you okay? I mean, yesterday—about it, I'm sorry. Really…sorry."

Alice looked at Jasper, almost accusingly, "What happened yesterday?"

Jasper smirked at her, "Quit being nosy, doll. Everything's fine, now," he turned to Meadow, his eyes expectant, "Isn't it?"

"Mmhm, yeah," Meadow nodded, biting her lip to hide a smile, "Fantastic."

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, frowning, "We came to check on you. Those girls were awful to you. You didn't deserve it."

"It's fine," Meadow waved it off, "Expected, but I suppose that doesn't make it right," she sighed.

"It's nice being able to speak to you without you storming off in the middle of my sentence," Alice admitted with a teasing smile, "You seem like a good conversationalist."

Meadow's eyes darted to the side, then back. ' _Nice_. _Be nice._ '

"T-thank you," she stuttered out, shifting her weight, "Um, I should go…."

"I couldn't help but overhear," Alice stepped in before Meadow could walk off, "You like motorcycles."

"I do," Meadow said. The emotions coming from Alice were still bubbly, but there was something else. Excitement and hope. For what?

"I left my bag in the cafeteria," Meadow said, taking a few steps back, "I'll see you both later."

She was off, walking quickly before either could protest and Meadow huffed out a breath of air. That was a start, wasn't it?

"You know," Alice appeared next to Meadow, falling easily in-step even as she dragged a reluctant Jasper behind her, "Jasper likes motorcycles and my sister, Rosalie loves cars. She's like our mechanic and she's always fixing them."

Meadow ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "You're never going to give up? Are you?"

"Nope," Alice grinned, "I'm not."

' _Well_ , _you should_ ,' Meadow thought, but she didn't say that, choosing instead to continue walking next to Alice as the pixie-like girl chatted her ear off.

Meadow tuned the bulk of it out, lost in her own thoughts. She was constantly mulling over Rogue's suggestion that she run away, devising plans and taking to looking at airfare on her computer. It really would be easy for her, but it would come with consequences. Charlie was the chief of police and he would most likely call Renee, who would come to the conclusion that Meadow had gone back to New York.

Ah, New York. More importantly Bayville and more important than that, the Institute. The place Meadow called her real home.

If she was honest with herself, there were times when she felt a bit inferior at the Institute and wished she had cool telepathic powers like the Professor and Jean. They would be much more useful in combat as Scott often said when he tried to help her train her empathy.

Sure, her powers _were_ useful, but they weren't much help in combat unless she was completely out of the line of fire or someone was constantly guarding her. That's why she trained that much harder in hands-on combat. Martial arts, gymnastics—even the ballet lessons she had taken as a child came in handy.

A heavy feeling weighed down on Meadow's shoulders. She was very proud to be a mutant and she loved her family, but when windows rattled and things broke—those moments when she was completely out of control—she wondered if her gift could ever be used for more t-

No. She wasn't going to think like that. Her powers—her _gift_ was wonderful like all the others out there. It was simply a matter of how she used it. Good or evil and she would always choose the first option as she so desired to use her gift to teach and help people.

A rush of anxiety followed the heavy weight and it was so intense, dizzying even, that she paused in her step. She really needed to sleep and eat…and drink water.

"Meadow?"

Alice had stopped her rambles to place a cool hand on Meadow's shoulder, seeing the brief look of panic on the younger teen's face.

Meadow blinked, looking down at Alice, "Hmm?"

"Your bag?" Alice pointed to it, confused, "We're in the cafeteria. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, tired," Meadow mumbled absently, pushing her arms through the handles of her backpack, "Thanks for walking with me. See you around."

She walked away from the siblings and she was glad that they didn't rush to follow, for once, clearly understanding that she needed space.

Could all of this be due to the fact that she now needed to act normal? The extra pressure to seriously hide who she was? At least at Bayville High if something went wrong, it could easily be covered up by her family who understood and knew what it was like. Here, it wasn't like that.

She thanked God that her gift was subtle—it was her reactions to things breaking or exploding that would end up giving her away, but she was usually good at controlling those. It didn't help that people were constantly asking her about Bella. In case they didn't get the memo, she wasn't Bella's nurse! She had no idea when Bella's injuries were going to heal and as bad as it sounded, Meadow didn't really care. Bella was going to be fine, she had the entire town of Forks at her feet.

"It's okay, Doe," she said to herself, changing direction to head towards the gym, "It's okay. One thing at a time. You can't afford to crack-up. There are people counting on you, don't disappoint the Professor."

" **Oh** , **Empath** , **that's all right**. **Disappoint him** , **destroy him**!"

Meadow swore her heart stopped, her blood ran cold as she came to a halt. She automatically took a defensive stance, her eyes flitting around. She had distinctly heard a deep, crooning voice and while it was soothing, the request made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"What?" she demanded quietly, "Who said that? Who's there!?"

She raised and uncurled one of her fists, pressing her fingers to her temple, unsure if the disturbing voice had come from inside her head or not. It had called her by her code name, had clearly heard her thoughts. Destroy the Professor? The mere thought made her stomach churn, though it wasn't like she had anything in her to throw up.

' _I'm angry_ ,' Meadow concluded, continuing on her way to gym, ' _I'm angry at the Professor for making me come here and_ _part_ _o_ _f_ _me wants to lash out and get back at him_ , _but I'm not going to do that_. _I'm angry and tired and that's that_.'

The reassurance sounded pathetic in her head and even more so when she said it out loud, her voice trailing off to a whisper as she entered the locker room full of chatting and giggling girls.

"Hey, Meadow?" a girl with auburn hair called, breaking her out of her inner turmoil.

"Yeah?" Meadow quirked an eyebrow at the girl she had never spoken to, "What is it?"

' _If it's another question about Bella,_ _I swear_ …' Meadow threatened in her head.

The girl turned her back on Meadow, then twisted to look at her, "Am I good?"

Meadow's eyes went to the girl's backside, "Yeah," she answered, "You're fine. I have a tampon if you need it."

"Thanks," the girl smiled sheepishly, "I'm Cassie…I'm on the soccer team."

"Is that so?" Meadow mumbled, not really interested as she began to strip off her clothes.

"Yeah," Cassie said from her own rusted gym locker, "I heard you might come to one of the practices."

News, whether true or not seemed to travel fast around Forks High and that quickly made it onto Meadow's long list of things she found irritating about the small city.

"I don't know," she said, yanking her shirt over her head.

Cassie's emotions were colored with longing and hope—now a little disappointment at Meadow's answer.

Cassie, who had been lingering over tying her sneakers, tied them, tucking the loops into her shoes.

"Oh," her face flickered with more disappointment, "Well, I hope you do come," the bell rang and she sighed, "See you in gym."

Meadow missed the wave that Cassie sent her way, having bent down to tie her own shoes. She let the laces flop and straightened her posture. She would need to take her seat at the bleachers before Coach Clapp called attendance.

She left the locker room, the strange voice she had heard momentarily forgotten as she prepared to endure whatever mediocre exercise or sport the class was supposed to partake in. The boredom and irritation everyone was feeling always threatened to lull Meadow to sleep, but she calmed the students, finding a bit of enjoyment at the teacher's face turning red from everyone's slow and relaxed movements.

"Miss Swan, how nice of you to join us!" Coach Clapp announced when she walked in, checking off Meadow's name on his clipboard, "Have a nice detour?"

"Yes, Sir, I did," she replied, earning a few chuckles. She rolled her eyes when Coach Clapp eyed her with disdain. The second part of his taunting had been unnecessary. She hated teachers who did that—the ones who got off on trying to embarrass students.

With the teacher still staring daggers at her back, Meadow took her seat at the bleachers, calming the people around her instantly.

"You know," Cassie leaned over to whisper in Meadow's ear, "If you're on a sports team, you get gym credits and don't have to take the required four years."

Meadow wasn't swayed by Cassie's attempts at bribery and barely held back her laughter.

"As tempting as that is," she whispered back, "I don't plan to be here for the rest of my high school career."

* * *

It was tense in the dining room of the Cullen house, the sky having darkened hours ago. Everyone had taken their respected seats at the rarely used large oval table.

Rosalie was exploding with fury, her perfectly manicured hand coming down on the table. The antique groaned in protest and it shook under the force.

"Stay away from her, Alice!" she snapped, "Ugh, honestly! Think, for _once_! If she messes with your sight, then you need to stay away."

"Rose, Alice knows what she's doing," Emmett tried his best to soothe his wife, "She always does."

"I don't care!" Rosalie retorted, shaking her head, "It messes with her sight, end of story."

"No," Edward said. He glanced out the large glass window. He hoped this family meeting would go by quickly. He needed to get to Bella, "That's not the end of the story. Is it, Alice?"

"Edward," Alice hissed. She addressed her family, "Everything seems to be going well. Jasper's been keeping an eye on her."

"Because he's _so_ trustworthy around humans?" Rosalie demanded.

"Rosalie!" Esme scolded just as Alice growled, "You know better than that. Jasper does very well and extends his self-control everyday. I'm proud of him."

Carlisle nodded in sincere agreement, giving Rosalie a reproving look before he spoke to his son, "Jasper? What have you been able to gather from Meadow's emotions?"

"Besides hatred, loneliness, and vexation?" Jasper snorted sarcastically. He shrugged, "Nothing much. She's guarded most of the time."

"Maybe she's sick?" Emmett supplied. He wrinkled her nose, "Her scent is—there's something else there…in her blood and if she's randomly collapsing, isn't that bad?"

"I doubt she's ill," Carlisle replied, subconsciously slipping into doctor mode, "It seemed she wasn't taking care of herself as she should have been. That should start to change and I plan to follow-up with her over the next couple of days. Tomorrow, if I am able."

"While you're doing that," Edward said in a light tone, "Perhaps you should give her a psychiatric evaluation as well."

"Edward," Alice sounded tired when she breathed out his name.

"What?" Carlisle looked at them, quirking his eyebrows at Edward, "Why would a psych evaluation be necessary?"

"She's not stable," Edward said this more to Alice than Carlisle, "I've come to that conclusion."

"She's having a hard time," Alice argued, glaring, "So, what? Don't judge her."

"She went to behav-

"Oh, don't you dare!" Alice interrupted, a low hissing sounds escaping the back of her throat, "Don't start with that, _please_! Edward, it would break Bella's heart if she heard you speaking like this. You used to think something was wrong with Bella because of her reactions and look how that turned out."

"She's very sensitive to my gift," Jasper stepped in, sensing Edward's growing anger, "Very wary of her surroundings and those around it."

"And she should be," Alice concluded, "It's a new place, new people and she was taken-

"Ugh!" Rosalie gagged, "Why are you constantly defending her? If you haven't noticed, she can't _stand_ you— _any_ of us and I don't know why we're wasting our time with this. If she dies, she dies. Mortals perish everyday. That's their life."

"Whether she has days left or years, I don't want Bella around her," Edward's tone left no room for argument, "Emmett's right," he glanced at his favorite brother, "Something is off about her scent, her _blood_ and that means something is off with her. I'm going to figure it out."

"Leave her alone," Jasper snapped before he could stop himself.

Edward, surprised at this, locked his jaw and turned his head, "What?"

"She's not too fond of you," Jasper said bluntly, ignoring Rosalie's noise of approval, "Leave her alone, don't bother her. I understand you want to protect Bella, but you can do that without harassing Meadow in the process. Leave. Her. Alone."

With that said and without waiting for the meeting to be adjourned, Jasper stood up and darted from the room to go to his own. They had had this conversation before and he was tired of going around in circles. Was there something off with Meadow? Yes. Was it any of their business? No. As far as he could tell, she wasn't a danger to his family and there was no reason to intervene or act as if there were.

He went to take a seat on a plush armchair, picking up a thick volume that he had been reading. He flipped open to a random page and had barely begun to read when his door opened, the positive emotions alerting him to who it was.

"It's ridiculous, I know," Alice said, kicking his door closed, "But it will get figured out."

Jasper placed his book aside, "And what exactly is there to figure out?"

"A lot," Alice admitted, going to perch herself on the arm of his chair, "It's sort of like when Bella-

Jasper held up his hand, stopping Alice from talking.

"I know you really want to befriend her," he said with a gentle smile, "And if you plan to do so, then you should back off a little bit and you should know that she hates being compared to Bella. She absolutely _loathes_ it."

"She's told you this?" Alice's voice was high-pitched, "You know, you didn't tell any of us what happened, the other day. Edward knows, of course, but both Esme and Carlisle were worried and Emmett wanted details."

"I figured you were already aware of what happened," Jasper teased, reaching over to link their hands, "Somethin' you want to tell me, doll?"

At this, Alice turned her head to look at him. He knew her so well and even if he didn't posses his gift, she was sure that he would know something was up. That's how they worked. They were two peas in a pod.

She smiled at him, a smile so bright that it would get a few looks if she was in public. She sighed contently and looked away, squeezing his hand with as much affection as she could with the gesture.

"You want me to tell you now?" she asked, "Really? This might not be the appropriate setting."

Jasper gave her another look, baiting her, " _You_ want to tell me now," he grinned when Alice laughed. She was practically bouncing where she sat and he could tell by her emotions that she had been longing to tell him, the secret on the tip of her tongue.

"Go ahead," he told her, waving his other hand.

"I can see her a lot better when she's with you," Alice whispered. She shook her head, "Correction, that's the _only_ way I can see her," Alice pursed her lips, "Is _if_ she's with _you_."

A silence rang throughout the entire house, everyone hearing Alice's statement despite her whispers. She might as well have been yelling.

It was a long time until Jasper spoke, his gaze unblinking on the floor of his bedroom.

"I see," he finally murmured.

Alice looked at him, though he wouldn't meet her eyes, "Do you?"

"When?" was all Jasper said, his tone curt and wanting to get straight to the point.

"I believe that is up to you and Meadow," Alice replied in the same tone, "Well, you, I suppose considering that's the only way I can really see her. I don't know what Meadow will do…" she trailed off to gauge his reaction.

Jasper said nothing, having no proper response to that and unsure of what to make of it. Neither one of them dared to say it, but they both knew the deeper meaning behind Alice's words.

" _Bella's crabby sister_!?" came Emmett's shout from downstairs, startling both Jasper and Alice, " _That's hilarious_!"

Emmett's booming laugh shook the house and Alice sighed.

"You know how he is," she mumbled to Jasper. She patted his shoulder, "Best to ignore him."

"Leave, please," Jasper said, getting up from his chair to stand by the window.

He couldn't see the look of hurt that crossed Alice's face, but could feel it through her emotions. He was grateful that she said nothing further, taking her leave silently and letting the door shut with a soft click.

Jasper sighed heavily, passing a hand through his blonde hair, his shoulders wilting as he stared out the window.

The moon was a bright orris-silver, hanging in the sky surrounded by thousands of glittering stars. With his enhanced eye sight, Jasper could see every shimmering chord of moonlight that was projected.

It offered little comfort, but still after all these years of his existence, it was a sight to see.

His thoughts ambled back to the family meeting he had walked out of. The way he had snapped at Edward when his brother had declared his plans to find out what was "wrong" with Meadow. It brought him back to the day when Edward had lashed out at him in regards to Jasper's decision to kill Bella.

Unlike Edward, Jasper knew that he wasn't destined to be Meadow's protector. No, the girl could handle herself he knew that for a fact. She was fierce and strong, able to handle her own. Be that as it may, that hadn't stopped him from trying to take care of her when she had fallen ill. He had even risked exposure when he used his vampire speed to keep Meadow from harm.

Jasper shook his head, surprised at the remembrance. He sighed, ' _Is that my fate_ , _then_? _To fall in love with Meadow Swan_?'

* * *

At the same time, in the Xavier Institute, the man who had created the safe haven for mutants sat at his beautiful mahogany desk, deep in thought. His elbows rested atop the glossy surface, his fingers laced together and a furrow in his brow.

It was very late, he knew and every student and staff (minus Logan) were sleeping in their beds, hopefully dreaming good dreams. He doubted that he would be able to do the same, disturbed by thoughts that had been haunting him for days.

It was the fact that The Brotherhood had been quiet lately. No breaks-ins, car accidents, new recruitments, or robberies. The lack of crime was great, yet suspicious, and while Charles Xavier tended to linger on the good of things, right now, he was lingering on the latter.

He had no doubt that the Brotherhood's lying low was due to the abrupt disappearance of their leader.

Principal Darkhölme had apparently taken a long leave of absence from her position at Bayville high school, giving no clear explanation to the school board. It was a well-known fact to the X-Men, that Principal Darkhölme was really _Raven_ Darkhölme—better known as Mystique. His students had rejoiced at the sudden disappearance and knowing how Mystique was, Charles was sure that the Brotherhood were relieved as well.

"What are you up to, Raven?" Xavier mused aloud, his eyes darting to a framed picture on his desk when it began to shake.

He caught the frame just as it fell off the edge, but didn't return it to its spot, choosing instead to look it over. It was a photo of him, the students, Ororo and a reluctant Logan all gathered at the gazebo by the cliffs. The photo had been taken only a month prior and had been gifted to him by Jean.

His finger traced over the gold frame, the metal chilling his skin.

"Ahh, Magnus," he said softly, "Old friend. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He was met with silence and his eyes swept his office, landing on the window. He could see nothing but the darkened ground, illuminated slightly by the moon and his reflection.

Perhaps it was sleep deprivation getting to him. With Magneto's helmet, Xavier was unable to penetrate the man's mind to hear his thoughts.

Charles pursed his lips, setting the photo back on his desk. He used the lever on his wheelchair to guide himself from behind his desk, heading towards the door to go to his room and try to get some sleep.

"Whatever you are planning, Magnus," he said, unsure if the man was even there, "You and Mystique will be stopped. I will not allow you to hurt innocent people, or my family. That includes those who may not reside here at this particular moment."

He waited another second, then left the office, the door shutting behind him.

Back on Xavier's desk, the framed photo shook once more, vibrating harder than it had previously. It fell off the edge, the glass on the frame spider webbing into thin cracks and distorting the group's smiling faces.


	7. Chapter VII

_Hearing another heavy sigh come from the person across from her, Ororo cracked open one blue eye. Her student was still in the correct meditating position, but one of her elbows rested on her jean-clad knee, her chin in her hand as she gazed longingly out the window of her bedroom._

 _"Meadow…" Ororo sang lightly, trying to get her attention._

 _"Jean and Scott are outside," Meadow didn't look away, speaking in a monotone, "Jean's sitting on the edge of the fountain. You know, the angel one? She's reading…and Scott has two tennis rackets. I think he's going to try and convince her to play—she probably will."_

 _The wind rider wiped away tears that had suddenly welled up in her eyes and struggled to keep her own powers in check, "Meadow, you need to calm down. You're projecting. Remember what we've been working on? Think of something that relaxes you and imagine pushing it out—like wind or a tidal wave. You can apply a color too, if visuals help."_

 _Slowly, but surely, calm seeped into the room and Storm nodded in approval when Meadow inhaled and exhaled, practicing her deep breathing._

 _"Good," Storm praised, "Does your head hurt? Any migraines?"_

 _"Not right now," Meadow continued to stare out the window, "It's only you here. You feel nice," she paused, "Sorry, that was a weird way to say it."_

 _"That's quite all right, child," Ororo smiled, "I'll accept the compliment nonetheless. Now-_

 _"I don't understand," Meadow interrupted Storm's attempts to get back to the meditation, "Why can't I go hangout with Jean and Scott? Just the other day, you took them to the mall **and** they go to school. Why can't I do that? Why do I have to stay inside with you or Logan or the Professor **all** the time?"_

 _Storm took no offense to Meadow's harsh words, understanding the girl's frustration. Meadow had been at the Institute for two weeks, and while she had made some progress at controlling her powers, she was still deemed a danger to herself and possibly others. There were still days she screamed when the pain in her head returned and objects were broken._

 _Meadow, Scott, and Jean had yet to be introduced and all meals were brought to Meadow's room, but while Jean and Scott were at school, Meadow was able to roam the mansion and have her private sessions with Logan and Charles. She was to be kept away from Jean and Scott until the headaches were gone and the screaming stopped—until she didn't scratch herself or pull her hair or try to hit when her powers became overwhelming to the point where she dissociated._

 _"I know," Ororo said soothingly. She placed a hand on Meadow's knee, "You have to understand: Professor Xavier wants what is best for you and that includes protecting you…even if it is from yourself."_

 _"But I'll be good!" Meadow exclaimed, finally whipping her head around to look at Storm. Her powers lashed out and she gasped when Storm clutched her chest, "Sorry, I'm sorry!"_

 _When Meadow thought of calm, the color lavender came to mind—like the candles. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and imagined the color trickling out of her body, like Storm had instructed. Meadow's shoulders relaxed as she did so and after a moment, her eyes opened._

 _"There," she mumbled, "Did I do that right? Is that better?"_

 _"Yes, child, that's wonderful," Ororo said in the same soothing voice, "You're a very good girl. It's not about being good or bad, you see. It's about your control. You wouldn't want to hurt Jean or Scott, would you?"_

 _Meadow shook her head, "No, of course not."_

 _Storm titled her head to the side, deciding to take a different approach, "When I'm sad or when I cry, it starts to rain."_

 _Meadow's nose wrinkled, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to recall what the Professor had told her about Storm's powers._

 _"Like…when you found me in the kitchen and I was crying?" she bit her lip, "I made you upset."_

 _"Not on purpose," Storm assured, "But yes, like that. You see, I must keep my powers under control because allowing them to run free could cause untold damage. I could hurt those who are very dear to me. I had to learn how to suppress extreme feelings."_

 _Meadow looked down at her hands as though that was where her powers emitted from. She curled her fingers into fists, uncurled them and flexed her fingers._

 _"I-it's like my empathy?" she asked, looking at Storm for a nod, "What did Professor Xavier call it? When I b-break stuff?"_

 _"Emotional energy," Storm said, "Empathy has many branches of power, but we won't start to branch out until the branches you do have are able to be in better control."_

 _So far, it seemed with Meadow's empathy, there was some type of emotional energy, Meadow could project, and feel or shoulder someone's emotions. Storm had no idea if the emotional energy could be shaped or manipulated; or if it was something that lashed out when Meadow was out of control. That was still to be determined._

 _Either way, her powers were very extreme—way more than just making someone feel sad or happy and it was fortunate that they had gotten to her first, before Magneto. Storm visibly shuddered at the thought._

 _Meadow's small voice brought Storm back to the present and she looked up to see that Meadow had returned her gaze to the window._

 _"And that's why I can't hangout with the others?" Meadow asked with a scowl, "Because I could hurt them by accident?"_

 _"Yes…" Storm drawled out, "It's a precaution for both you and the other students. It will not be forever."_

 _"Long enough," Meadow said under her breath, "Scott convinced Jean to play. They're leaving."_

 _At the hundredth sad sigh Meadow let out, Storm uncrossed her legs and moved to sit on her knees. It didn't seem like they would be getting back to the meditation anytime soon._

 _"You know what?" she suggested, "Let's take a break from meditating. Why don't we write some letters?"_

 _Blue eyes met blue and Meadow drew her eyebrows up, confused, "Write letters to who?"_

 _"Jean and Scott," Storm said, "You can write them each a letter, introduce yourself and give it to me. I'll give it to them and I bet they will write you back. You three can get to know each other."_

 _Meadow perked up at that, allowing the faintest of smiles to twitch her plump lips. Storm had started to wonder if Meadow would ever smile._

 _"Okay!" Meadow agreed, "Can we do it now?"_

 _"Yes," Storm stood up and glanced around the room, "You'll stay here? You'll be all right by yourself?"_

 _Meadow scowled again, bringing her knees up to her chest, "I'll be **fine** , Ms. Munroe."_

 _"Ororo," she corrected, "Or Storm will suffice," she opened the door, "Very well. I'll be right back."_

 _She closed the door, making sure it clicked shut before she removed her hand from the doorknob, heading towards one of the studies in search of a pen and some paper. Perhaps some envelopes too._

 _On her way, she spotted Logan who was coming back from the Danger Room, a bottled beer in his hand._

 _Logan smirked at her, "The kid wear you out already, 'Ro?"_

 _"No," Ororo stopped walking to speak to him, "We're going to be taking a break."_

 _"Can you afford to take a break?" Logan asked gruffly, craning his neck around to look down the hallway._

 _"Yes," Storm said adamantly. She shook her head, "This isolation isn't good for her, Logan. She craves companionship—friends. The poor girl is going to go stir crazy. I thought it would be a good idea for her, Jean and Scott to write letters to each other. For Meadow, this needs to be more than learning to control her powers."_

 _She watched the Wolverine ponder her words and then he made a sound deep in his chest, grumbling irritably to himself as he fumbled around in the pocket of his jeans._

 _She narrowly missed catching whatever he had thrown at her and when she looked up, Logan was no longer standing in the spot he had once occupied._

 _She turned on her heel and saw Logan walking in the opposite direction, either towards his room or somewhere else in the large mansion._

 _"My cellphone," he called to her, "She can call the main phone line. That's it!"_

 _What Logan was implying registered in Storm's mind and her pink lips pulled up in a wide and heartfelt smile. That was a better idea: Meadow could talk to Jean and Scott on the phone._

 _Still smiling, Storm headed back the way she came, hoping that Meadow was doing all right in the short time she had been left alone._

 _When she returned to Meadow's room, the thirteen-year-old was sitting on her bed hugging the teddy bear Storm had given her. By the deep furrow in her brow, Meadow looked deep in thought._

 _"I've broken a lot of things," Meadow announced quietly, "In the mansion…and I'm dangerous."_

 _Still holding onto the phone, Storm went to sit on the edge of Meadow's bed, waiting for her to continue._

 _"Am I going to be sent away?" Meadow asked, "If I can't control my powers? If I keep…breaking things?"_

 _Storm regarded her carefully, her eyes sweeping over Meadow's frame. The girl was unknowingly projecting her fear, but not enough to the point where Storm felt the need to bring attention to it—it wasn't stifling, yet._

 _As a mentor, she probably should have called Meadow out on it, then suggested meditation, but as a friend and someone who cared deeply about the troubled child, she wasn't going to do that._

 _"Never," Storm whispered, reaching out to intertwine their fingers, "You will not be sent away. There are methods that Professor Xavier can use to help control your powers...if it becomes necessary."_

 _Meadow nodded slowly in understanding, "And that's not the case right now?"_

 _"That is not the case right now," Storm confirmed, "I promise."_

 _Meadow took another moment to digest this information and again, she nodded, her eyes falling on the device in Storm's hand. She pointed to it, "What's that?"_

 _Storm held out her arm and she watched as Meadow began to hesitantly scoot closer, allowing Storm to wrap an arm around her shoulders, trying to get as close as possible._

 _Briefly, Storm wondered what Meadow's home life had been like. There were no signs of physical or emotional abuse, but Storm had been informed that there had been some kind of neglect and she had been there before the Swan's memories had been erased._

 _"Why are you sad?"_

 _Ororo looked down to see Meadow looking at her, a frown on her face. However, she smiled reassuringly and shook her head._

 _"Simply thinking," she said, "Here, look. Logan gave me his cellphone and…"_

Storm shook herself out of the memory, coming back to the present. She looked around her greenhouse, dressed in her civilian clothes. She raised her arms high above her head, a cloudy white fog forming over her bright eyes.

A light rain came down inside the greenhouse, efficiently watering all of the plants and flowers she collected.

With her plants taken care of, Storm came back to herself and exhaled softly, eyes sweeping her own sanctuary before she took her leave, stopping as she came to the entrance. A pink flower wilted in its pot and she held out a hand, shining sunshine. She smiled when the plant came back to life, looking as perky and healthy as ever.

Satisfied, she left to go inside the mansion, her open-toed sandals clicking against the smooth concrete. It was sunny out, as is usually was, and a cup of iced coffee sounded nice. She tried to recall if she had previously refrigerated some during breakfast or if Rogue had consumed the last of it as she usually did.

"Lookout, Storm!" Kitty was rushing down the main flight of stairs and phased through the woman, stopping to turn and smile apologetically when she gasped loudly, "Whoa. Like, my bad."

Storm laughed, having easily recovered, "What's the rush, Kitty?"

"Like, shoe sale at the mall," Kitty grinned, "Buy one pair get another _half off_! Jean has to get a new pair of slacks and, like, totally said I could get a ride! Gotta hurry!"

 _Bamf_!

"Vait for me, Kätzchen!" Kurt appeared in a puff of dark smoke, quickly turning on his image inducer, "Hey, Storm!" he greeted, 'porting away a second later.

Storm wafted away the smoke with her hand, nose wrinkling at the thick scent of brimstone. She continued on to the kitchen, pushing open the door.

"Evan," she greeted, surprised to see her nephew at the table, munching on a bagel, "You're not joining the others? They're going to the mall."

"Hey, Auntie O," Evan smiled at her and lifted his right arm, showing her his skateboard, "I'm going boarding with some guys from school and don't worry," he rolled his eyes, already suspecting what she was going to say, "I'll wear my protective gear."

"Good," Storm nodded in approval and she lifted an eyebrow, "And who exactly are these 'guys from school'? I can assume they're not from math class?"

"Nope," Evan popped the 'p', his gaze focused on the black and white tiled floor, "We just chill sometimes, but I'll be back in time for dinner. No sweat, right?"

"No powers," Storm warned seriously, "I mean it, Evan."

"Yeah, yeah," Evan waved off the warning, but at his aunt's stern look, he sighed and rolled his eyes again, "Okay, no powers, got it. See ya'."

"Goodbye," Storm said, amused, "Be good, young man."

"Ugh!" Evan groaned, the door swinging shut behind him, "Oh, hey, Prof. See ya' later."

"Goodbye, Evan," Xavier came into the kitchen, his dark eyes sparkling with fondness, "Ahh, Storm. They're all growing up so fast."

"Aren't they?" Storm asked, pulling down two mugs, "Coffee?"

"Please," Xavier pulled into a spot at the table, resting his arms on the surface. He watched Storm move fluidly through the kitchen and couldn't help but notice the flicker of sadness in her eyes.

"Ororo, is there something troubling you?" he asked, not wanting to invade her mind.

Storm poured two cups of cold coffee, adding ice, sugar and cream to her own. She brought the mugs over to the table and took a seat, pushing Charles' mug towards him. She took a sip of her drink.

"I'm not sure," she watched the ice bob up and down in her cup, "I was reminiscing earlier. It's…very quiet without Doe here."

Charles nodded, taking a sip from his own mug. He wondered if Storm had the same concerns that he had. He doubted it as he hoped that his own concerns were simply him being overprotective of his students. He had faith in them and while he did his best to guide them on the right path, he had to accept that they were getting older and would one day, make their own decisions.

Whatever decisions they made, he still hoped that they would reach out to him and the rest of the staff at the Institute if they needed help.

"Logan has been speaking of paying Meadow a visit," he informed Ororo, "However, I told him to hold off and give Meadow some more time to get adjusted."

Storm pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek, "…We shouldn't have allowed her to go," she said quietly, "We should have fought for her to stay."

"I…" Xavier stopped, his eyes going to the closed kitchen door, "Rogue," he called, "You may come in if you'd like."

Rogue entered the kitchen, arms folded across her chest and head held high. She looked between the two adults, eyes narrowed.

"Is Doe in some kahnd of danger or somethin'?" she demanded, expecting an answer.

Xavier made sure to tread carefully when he answered, meeting eyes with Storm before they fell on Rogue's guarded green orbs.

"Is there a reason you suspect that she is in danger?" he asked, gesturing for her to sit.

Rogue remained standing and glared. She shrugged her shoulders, looking anywhere else, but at the faculty members.

"Ah don't know," she answered truthfully, "Ah know about the text messages."

Storm took in Rogue's tenser than normal stance and just as she got up to approach the teenager, the phone rang. She turned and went to fetch the home phone, pressing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

" _Storm_!" the voice cried at the other end, sounding weak and relieved, " _Thank God_ , _it's you_. _Is the Professor there_?"

Storm's eyes widened slightly and she moved the phone so that the earpiece was against her chest.

"It's Doe."

* * *

Bruises.

Ugly, dark purple bruises splotched the inside of Meadow's arms. A couple on her forearm and one directly in the crook of her elbow. They were each about the size of a fifty cent piece. She pulled down the sleeves of her long-sleeved shirt and leather jacket unable to look at them any longer.

Where had they come from? The cat? She always woke up to it kneading her, demanding attention or wanting to play and the cat's claws had previously broken her skin.

The pet in question was curled in a ball in the middle of Meadow's bed, her eyes shut and a paw over her face.

Could they be from exercising? Meadow pulled her sleeves up again and pulled her pants down a bit to examine her thighs. She couldn't see bruises anywhere else.

"I don't understand," she whispered, fixing her clothing. She was used to bruises, scars too, but they were always due to her having sparred the day before or some kind of mission or DR session. Yes, sometimes the bruises would take time to show up, but Meadow hadn't done much since coming to Forks. She hadn't even found a good place to skateboard.

She poked at one of the bruises through her clothing. It throbbed, but wasn't too painful. Luckily, she was in place where it rained all the damn time. All Meadow wore since arriving were long-sleeves and her leather jacket.

When she yawned widely, the bruises forgotten for a moment as she rubbed the nonexistent sleep out her eyes, eyeing the cat on her bed with envy.

Meadow had gone into Charlie's drawer and swiped some of his melatonin. She had taken two—it had put her to sleep, but she had tossed and turned, having to change her pajama shirt in the middle of the night when she woke up from a dreamless sleep, drenched in sweat.

Sighing heavily and checking her reflection in a small compact mirror, Meadow turned to look out the bedroom window. It was overcast, but not raining and if she could find a place where the trees provided enough coverage and it wasn't too rainy, maybe she could meditate outside and get some actual peace. Away from Bella's stalker-possibly-mutant friends.

She grabbed her school bag and emptied it of all contents, beginning to pack up all of her candles. She pocketed her lighter and packed Rogue's, now her copy of 'Dracula'. For whatever reason, if she was unable to meditate, she could always read.

Sadistic.

Meadow halted in the motion of zipping up her backpack and turned around in a full circle, her heart stuttering in her chest. Just as soon as the emotion hit her, it was gone. Though fleeting, it left a chill throughout her body and she shuddered, wondering if she was going to be sick. She reached out with her own emotions, trying to find a signature or some kind of remnant.

Emotions ripped through her—hitting her from all over the place; Meadow unable to tell where they were even coming from. They certainly weren't hers. They all began to blur together, her failing to filter them out. She felt panic seep into her very bones and a headache pulsed dangerously behind her eyes, the pounding in her head bringing her to her knees, her hands clutching her head.

She heard the unnamed cat howl in discomfort, but Meadow couldn't find the words to soothe her as she struggled to breathe, the pain in her head causing tears to well up. Something in her room broke and the light above her exploded, showering her hunched over form in glass.

" **Oh** , **Empath** ," the dark voice—from somewhere, crooned to her, faking concern, " **Let** **your p** **ower** _**have**_ **you** , **let it** _ **take**_ **you**. **Why fight** , **when you can** _ **embrace**_ **and become so much more**? _ **You can**_ **rule** , **you can** _ **dominate**_. **We can help you**."

"I-I…don't need…y-you're help!" she hissed, spit flying as she forced out the words.

The cat's howling became louder as Meadow's anxiety and fear increased as well as the pain in her head. She opened her mouth to scream—much like she had done when she was a child, when there was a knock at her door.

The simple sound gave Meadow a small window to come back to herself. It was painful, but she forced in a lungful of air and tried to reign in her powers. Slowly, the pain in her head lessened until it was dull ache and after a moment, she straightened up from her crouched position, her whole frame shaking.

Her breathing was heavy and she wiped away tears that had spilled over, then wiped her hands on her pants.

" _Meadow_!?"

Another knock at her door and a call of her name, both more frantic and Meadow was glad that she started to keep her door locked when she was in her room.

"H-hold…o-on," she choked out, hoping that whoever was behind her door could hear her. She didn't want anyone attempting to break her door down. She'd be pissed.

With effort, Meadow lifted her head and saw all the glass that littered her floor. Turns out, it was her bedside lamp that had exploded and her alarm clock continuously flashed 12:00. It had short-circuited.

Expertly, she pushed herself to her feet, managing to catch herself on her bed when she stumbled, too weak to stand.

It had been awhile since she had that type of a migraine and she forgot how winded they often left her.

And the voice in her mind. She was sure that it wasn't her own thoughts, she could now admit that. Not only was the voice too dark, but it had been a male's voice with some type of accent. Not a single feminine note laced it and last time Meadow had checked, she was definitely a female.

It had said "we". Who was we? We what? She didn't need that type of help, she had help…

She needed to call the Professor ASAP and in order to do that, she needed to get out of the house and away from listening ears.

Taking a few minutes to steady her breathing and stay conscious, Meadow slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, then stood. The glass crunched under her converse and she stumbled over to her bedroom door, grabbing onto her dresser at the last second to steady herself when she felt dizzy. Whoever had knocked on her door, was still there.

With sweat-slicked fingers, she fumbled to turned the lock and threw open her door.

" _What_!?" she demanded, voice coming out harsher than intended.

Jasper's eyes were wide, completely appalled as he looked Meadow up and down. She looked…she looked _a_ _wful_. Her skin closely resembled his own shade, the dark bags under her eyes standing out. A light sheen of sweat was on her forehead, a few wisps of her curly hair stuck to it. Her breathing was forced and he could see her trembling with the effort it took to stand.

It was then that he noticed the glass littering her floor and he gestured to it, trying to hide his worry and knowing how much she hated to be fussed over.

"Doing some redecorating?" he asked.

Meadow glanced behind her and stepped to the right, obscuring his view.

"Yeah," she muttered, stepping out of her room and making Jasper step back so that she could close her door, "What are you doing?"

Jasper's hands hovered in case Meadow fell or staggered, "I came here with Alice and Edward, today," when Meadow rolled her eyes, he paused, "I was eating downstairs when I heard something break and your cat…"

Meadow molded her hand to her forehead, still a bit out of it. She closed her eyes. The cat. Meadow needed to feed her and get her water. She groaned, already overwhelmed by the day and it was only half over.

"Dammit," she breathed, "I have to feed her."

"Why don't you let me do it?" Jasper offered, eyeing her trembling form, "You look…"

Meadow's lips twitched slightly when he trailed off, "Terrible, I know. I've got it, thanks."

Obsession.

Meadow shuddered when the emotion hit her. That was unquestionably Bella and Edward.

" **And they can't stand you** , **can they**?" the dark voice chimed in.

"Stop it," Meadow hissed.

"Stop what?" Jasper frowned, "Are you okay?"

"Peachy!" Meadow snapped, "Leave me alone, I have stuff to do!"

"Meadow, please," Jasper begged, catching her wrist, "Let me help. You look like you could use it."

The softness of his voice stopped Meadow short and instead of wrenching away from him, she wilted under his touch. He had already seen her in a vulnerable state, having practically babysat her when she had fainted and she supposed she didn't mind his company. She…tolerated him a lot more than the others.

"Fine, whatever. Do what you want," she mumbled, "But don't let anyone else in my room and trust me, Jasper, I'll know if you do," she fixed him with her piercing blue eyes, "Do you understand me?"

Jasper tipped an imaginary hat, "Yes, ma'am," he said, accent thick.

"Wonderful," she chimed sarcastically. She rubbed her temple, the headache still there, "I have to go."

She ignored the fact that Jasper stayed close to her as she went downstairs and into the kitchen where, no _freakin_ ' surprise—Alice and Edward sat with Bella.

Meadow was amazed that they weren't spoon-feeding her or chewing her food.

"Meadow, are you okay?" Alice asked, standing up from the table, "We heard some noises upstairs."

' _Nice_ , _nice_ , _nice_ ,' she chanted in her head, ' _Possibly mutants_ , _remember_?'

"I broke my lamp," Meadow supplied shortly. She spared Bella a glance, hostility in her voice, "I'm going out, if Charlie comes home before I get back."

"Do you want to take my truck?" Bella asked. She glared at the boot encasing one of her legs, "Not like I can drive it."

"I'm going _out_ , if Charlie comes _home_ before I get _back_ ," Meadow repeated icily, rolling her eyes when Bella flinched, "Christ, I feel like a parrot."

Edward frowned at Meadow, clearly unhappy with the way she spoke to his precious Bella.

"She's trying to help," he defended, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to take a seat?" he asked, no doubt failing to miss her sickly appearance, "You don't look well. I can make you something, if you'd like."

"And do what to it?" she snapped, her lingering headache only making her more agitated.

She stormed out of the house, slamming the door for good measure. It wasn't quite the dramatic exit she was looking for as she knew she wasn't walking straight, possibly on the verge of possibly losing consciousness.

There were times when she worked her gift too hard and got mentally exhausted. Especially, when she had her tantrums or shouldered someone's emotions for too long. But this was neither of those situations.

She felt like garbage and it wasn't just the headaches or the voices. It was that slow, sluggish feeling that someone got right before they got sick with a cold.

Meadow walked down the road, cautiously looking behind her every few moments to make sure that she wasn't being followed.

She needed to get far and had changed her mind about walking the trails in the forest that seemed to surround Forks. She wanted to be miles away from the house knowing that the Cullens were there. What if they could hear her with whatever powers they had? Perhaps they were like Logan.

The Cullens'…unhumaness only added to her dislike for Bella. The other brunette seemed to accept the Cullens with no problem. Her obsession with Edward made that clear. True, at the time of Meadow's revelation they had been younger, but still…they had been family and they had turned on her because she had an extra gene.

"Meadow Swan, do my old eyes deceive me?"

The deep and cheerful voice caused Meadow to stop short and she turned to see a black weathered Ford crawling along at a snails pace. Leaning out the rolled down passenger window was a heavyset man with a deeply wrinkled face, black eyes and dark russet skin. He was smiling.

"Billy Black, right?" Meadow asked, surprised that someone had known it was her.

' _That gives Billy points in my book_ ,' she thought.

Billy's emotions were kind and warm, but there was also some wariness and Meadow noticed that his dark eyes continuously scanned his surroundings and despite the wide smile on his face, his eyes looked mistrustful.

"That's my name," Billy chuckled a deep sound, "It's lovely to see you! Charlie hasn't shut up about you since you've moved down here. You remember my boy, Jacob, don't you?"

Billy leaned back against the seat, giving Meadow a look at the boy who looked way too young to be driving. Jacob looked fourteen maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. There was still a hint of childish roundness left around his chin.

His emotions matched his appearance: Shy, confused, friendly and a bit of irritation and exhaustion as he watched his father take in his environment once more.

Jacob raised a hand in greeting, smiling, "Hey, Meadow. Long time no see."

"Hey," Meadow echoed, returning the smile, "Yeah, it's been a really long time."

"We'll need to catch up," Billy prompted. He eyed her a little skeptically, "Now, where are you heading? You look a little lost."

"Just taking a walk," Meadow told him, looking behind her, "Bella has some… _friends_ over."

Billy's eyes seemed to brighten at the way Meadow said the word 'friends' and he nodded.

"Friends?" he questioned, curiosity peaked.

Before Meadow could reply, Jacob leaned over, his eyes wide.

"Hey, how is Bella?" he asked, sounding desperate—his emotions vouched for his tone, "Is she feeling any better since her accident?"

"Hah!" Billy snorted and Jacob promptly ignored this, his eyes pleading with Meadow to answer his question.

Meadow's eyes, however, were on Billy. The man's emotions has changed drastically. He was angry and going deeper, he was hostile…enraged. Worried, fearful, disbelief…disgusted.

Jacob followed Meadow's eyes and he rolled his eyes dramatically, "Dad, please…" he begged. He lowered his voice, but not by much, "I passed on your dumb message. Will you leave it alone? Bella doesn't like it."

"Bella doesn't like it," Billy repeated bitterly, shaking his head.

"Um, Bella's fine," Meadow said, pretending she hadn't heard. She pressed her lips together, "A few of the Cullens are at the house with her. Did you want to stop by? A little more company never killed anyone," she smiled sweetly, projecting innocence and care.

Like she predicted at the mention of the Cullens, Billy's emotions increased tenfold and that was the only reaction Meadow needed.

' _Turn it up a notch_ , _Doe_ ,' she thought. She was so close.

"They seem nice," she went on, "They've been taking _really_ good care of Bella and Alice invited me to go shopping with her."

"Meadow…" Billy's voice was solemn and grave, but he paused, giving a brief shake of his head, "Would you like to come over?" his tone was gentle, "Or maybe we could give you a ride somewhere?"

"That would be nice, thank you," Meadow accepted the offer, "I'll admit…I was trying to get _away_ from the house."

She said this in a voice only Billy could hear and she held his eyes for as long as she could, the eye contact only breaking when she got in the car, careful of the wheelchair taking up most of the space. The car smelled faintly of tobacco and peppermint.

Billy knew something about the Cullens, that was clear and he didn't like it. Did that mean Billy knew about mutants? Even if he did, Meadow would have to really think before she spoke. She wouldn't reveal herself. She couldn't.

"So," she started, projecting happiness and relaxation, "Don't you have twin girls, Billy? How are they?"

Meadow did her best to pay attention as Billy prattled on about his daughters. Apparently, Rebecca and Rachel had both moved out of La Push—Rachel on a scholarship from Washington State University in Pullman to study computer engineering and Rebecca having gotten married to some kind of Hawaiian surfer right after turning eighteen.

Meadow's eyes softened at Billy's new emotions, the pain fresh in his voice, though it was covered well. Loss and sadness.

She wondered if it had been too much for the twins. Meadow remembered Sarah Black, the woman having died a couple years before she left for the institute. Sarah had died in a car accident and Charlie had called to tell his daughters about the sad news.

Neither she nor Bella had gone down for the funeral, but had told Charlie to pass on their condolences.

' _It must have been_ _painful_ ,' Meadow thought, ' _For them to stay on the Reservation_.'

While she knew she would, Meadow couldn't imagine how hard and ultimately devastating it would be to stay in New York if something ever happened to Storm, her mother…figure! Yeah, mother figure.

She was already on internal thin ice when she had almost called Logan 'dad' that day in the cafeteria. How odd would it be if she called Storm 'mom'? Especially since Evan was her nephew. Calling Storm mom didn't seem like it would suffice. Mother figure would do. At least, Meadow hoped it would. She had never spoken to Storm about it…

"Deep in thought, there?"

Billy's deep and hearty chuckle lifted Meadow from her thoughts and she looked up to see his eyes staring at her from the rear view mirror, crinkled with delight.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"We're here, Space Case," Jacob joked, climbing out of the car, "I'll get your chair, dad."

"Need help with anything?" Meadow asked while she unbuckled her seat belt.

"Nah," Jacob declined, "I've got it. Though, you might want to ask him," he grinned at his father, "Old man doesn't kick like he used to."

"You'll regret those words, Son," Billy grinned, eyes gleaming, "I might accidentally roll over your foot. You know, break a few _toes_."

Jacob winced, "Ouch."

Meadow was entertained by the father and son banter and she got out of the car, waiting politely for the other two.

The Blacks' house looked vaguely familiar, a small wooden place with narrow windows, the dull red paint making it resemble a tiny barn.

"I'm looking forward to catching up, Meadow," Billy said eagerly, "How's school going?"

Meadow quickened her step to fall in line with the chair Jacob pushed, "It's fine," she said colloquially, "I'm thinking of trying out for soccer," that wasn't quite true, but it kept the conversation going.

"Really?" Billy's eyes brightened, "That's wonderful! You know, a bunch of the kids here often play soccer on the beach. You should join them. It's all in good fun."

"I might do that. There's a beach near here?" Meadow craned her neck as she walked, as if she could see the beach, "That sounds nice."

"It is, it is," Billy said absently, "Sometimes, the kids from Forks will come down and…what's that saying, Jake?" he looked at his son, "Catch some waves?"

"Ugh!" Jacob groaned in disgust, pushing open the creaking door, "Dad!"

Billy chortled, wheeling himself into the tiny square living room. When he got close enough, he expertly maneuvered himself out of his chair and onto the old couch that was no bigger than a love seat.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Billy offered, "It's mighty cold outside. Tea or coffee?"

Meadow shook her head and joined him on the couch, sitting on the furthest cushion, "No thank you."

Jacob returned from where he had disappeared down the tiny hallway off the front room, a rusted toolbox in his hands, "Dad, I'll be in the garage. It was nice seeing you, Meadow."

"You too," Meadow replied.

Billy waved him off, "I'll holler if I need you."

Jacob left. Meadow and Billy were now alone in the house, surrounded by a tense silence.

"It's good to see you back here," Billy said sincerely, "I was starting to think you were never going to come back."

"I wasn't planning on it," Meadow told him, "It was quite the shock."

Billy nodded, fiddling with the remote, "I bet a lot of things have come as a shock to you since you've been back."

There it was.

"Yes," Meadow made sure to tread slowly, carefully, "I would have come to visit you sooner, but I've actually been sick," she threw caution to the wind, "Dr. Cullen looked me over."

Surprisingly, Billy laughed, shaking his head before he exhaled a long and amused sigh.

"Ahh, Meadow," he breathed, squeezing her shoulder, "You're a very smart girl. Witty," his smile fell from his face, "While you're here—in Forks, I want you to be safe. There's not much I can say, but…be careful. I've taken Bella's ' _accident_ ' very seriously and we'll be watching to ensure it doesn't happen again."

"Okay," Meadow said, her voice merely a whisper. She understood, "I'm disappointed with how this turned out."

Billy laughed again, "Yes, I thought you might be, but as I said before: you're a smart girl and if you'd like privacy, then go to the beach…First Beach. That's all I'll say."

"Thank you," Meadow said, "Very much. Is the beach within walking distance?"

"Driving is preferable," Billy told her, "But I suppose walking would work."

"I could use the exercise," Meadow stood up and leaned down to give him a hug, "Thank you."

"Of course," Billy promised, "Keep an eye out."

Of course," Meadow repeated his words, "You too."

She bid him another kind farewell and left the house, calling a goodbye to Jacob before she broke out into a run, heading for First Beach.


	8. Chapter VIII

The white-capped, dark gray waters were heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs.

Meadow was only slightly out of breath when she arrived, having ran instead of walked. Her cheeks were pink with cold and exertion, the wind whipping at the loose strands of hair that she was constantly pushing back.

She walked closer and saw that the beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance. However, when Meadow approached the rocks and picked one up, she could see every shade a stone could be: terracotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. She pocketed a couple of them, the sea water dampening the pockets of her jeans.

The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white by the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind blowing off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The dark clouds hovering and threatening rain made the beach look sort of eerie.

She walked along the beach, taking it all in, her shoes crunching sand and rocks beneath her feet. Her hands were shoved deep into the pockets of her leather jacket, one of her hands curling around her cellphone.

Due to the weather, she assumed most people were in their warm homes or at work. There was nobody in sight.

Perfect.

She pulled the phone from her pocket and flipped it open, her thumb hitting the '1'. It was the speed dial for the house phone of the Institute and as the phone rang once, twice, three times, fear began to set in and her headache returned; the adrenaline from her run fleeing her body.

" _Hello_?"

"Storm!" Meadow cried, plopping down onto a dry log. She was so relieved, "Thank God, it's you. Is the Professor there?"

She wondered if the Weather Witch could detect the note of hysteria in her voice as the phone was passed off to the Professor with no hesitance.

" _Meadow_?" came Xavier's curt voice, " _Kitty passed on your messages_. _Is everything all right_ _my dear_?"

Meadow wasn't even sure where to start. So, she decided to blurt out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I think there are mutants in Forks," she said, lowering her voice, "Like, a whole _family_ of them. Seven in total."

" _Seven_?" Xavier's voice was business-like and a little confused, " _Are you sure_?"

"Not exactly," Meadow frowned, "It's the Cullen family. Their father is Chief Surgeon at the hospital and his children all go to my high school. One of the sons…Jasper…he's like me."

" _Like you_?" Xavier asked, his tone expectant of an elaboration.

"Professor, he's an Empath," the words were pouring out of her now as her brain began to finally work, "I know when someone is trying to manipulate my emotions and Jasper has definitely been trying. He's gifted, 110%. I'm sure of it."

" _Another Empath_?" Xavier mused more to himself, " _It's a definite possibility_. _Have you noticed any other gifts among the family_?"

"No," Meadow said. She shook her head, "I mean, none that I've noticed, but I'm not particularly fond of them. There's definitely…something off. I'll admit that I'm worried about it. D-do I confront them? Try to offer support like you do?"

" _While an option_ ," Xavier said, " _It is still a risky one_ — _one that I'm not sure I want you_ _handling a_ _lone_. _Your suspicions could prove to be correct_ , _but you do risk exposing yourself_. _If it turns out to be false_ …" he trailed off.

"Yes, I thought the same thing," Meadow said, unsure of how much of her thoughts to share, "I wouldn't suggest it if I thought it was only a shot in the dark."

It took a long time for Xavier to speak and when he did, he was as cool and collected as ever.

" _I support whatever decision you make_ , _Meadow_ ," he said fondly, " _I trust your judgment on this_. However, _you must approach this with_ _ **great**_ _caution_. _Perhaps speak to Jasper and only him_ , _not the whole family_. _If it happens to go in the wrong direction_ , _then it'd be best not to be in the middle_."

"Yes," Meadow agreed, though she knew she could handle herself if things were to go wrong, "I had only been planning on speaking to Jasper in private. You know, Empath to Empath, but I have your permission as long as I'm careful?"

" _As long as you're careful_ ," Xavier agreed, " _And stay in contact_."

"I will, thank you, Professor," Meadow said. She sighed, pushing wisps of hair back. That was one weight off of her shoulders.

" _Meadow_ ," Xavier said sternly, having heard her sigh, " _I've been a little worried about you_. _Especially when I received your messages_. _Is there anything else that you would like to tell me_?"

"I…" she faltered.

' _My_ _powers_ _are going haywire_ ,' is what Meadow should have said, ' _I'm losing my mind_. _I'm hearing voices in my head_. _I'm going absolutely freaking insane and have never felt as mentally unstable as I have since coming to Forks_. _Something's wrong_.'

"I-I don't know," she whispered, scared to say any of those things.

It wasn't that she didn't trust the Professor. No, she trusted the man with her life—he had probably _saved_ her life. She just didn't want to worry him any further or make it all about her. Especially considering she was in a whole other state. He needed to focus on the other students. She was fine. Kind of.

"I'm having a hard time adjusting," she finally said, "There's been a couple power flares, but I'm working on it. I have my candles with me. I plan to mediate," her voice cracked.

" _Meadow_ …"

"No," Meadow interrupted him firmly, "No, don't… _don't_ say my name like that. I just—I want to come home," she whimpered.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, failing to keep the welled up tears from spilling down her cheeks. She felt so incredibly pathetic. She didn't want to breakdown like this and pressed her lips into a thin light, forcing herself to hold in a hiccup and breath through her nose.

" **Don't**!" the voice hissed to her right when she opened her mouth to speak, " **Do you want to be sent away**?"

Stubbornly, she failed to tell the Professor what was really going on. She should have swallowed both her ego and her pride and told him about everything else, but she didn't.

" _Have things gotten bad_?" he inquired, oddly calm.

Meadow kneaded her forehead, "I…" she stuttered. She was shocked when she realized it was the voice causing her to hesitate, but she really wasn't doing well. She needed to go home. Possibly have more barriers placed in her mind.

" _ **Home**_ ," the voice was back, sneering, " **Do you honestly think the Xavier Institute will want** _ **you**_ **back**? **After the trouble you've caused**? **Do you think they will want to deal with the likes of you**?"

' _They love me_ ,' Meadow thought back, frowning, ' _We're all there for each other_. _No matter what_.'

The voice didn't respond and she huffed quietly. Why wouldn't the Institute take her back? That place was her home.

Unless…they were _glad_ to be rid of her? Without her around, she wasn't unconsciously projecting or breaking things. She would bet that her absence already saved them a bundle. There was a reason she didn't get an allowance like the other students…

She bit her lip, shame flooding her body and heating her skin all the way to the tips of her ears. Maybe…maybe she shouldn't go back. No, not yet…

" _Meadow_?" Xavier's voice was urgent, concerned.

Having been stuck in her head, she jumped so hard that the phone fell from her fingers to land in the sand. She gasped and fumbled to pick it up. She shook it off and dusted off the screen, wiping her hands on her pants. When she straightened up, the salty wind whipped her face, causing hair to fall from her braid and stick to her tears.

"Sorry, I'm still here," she said quickly, wiping her face, "I'm here, Professor. Er, so…Cerebro?"

" _Yes_ , _I'll take a look_ ," Xavier promised, surprised at the subject change, " _Meadow_ , _I need you to keep yourself safe_."

"Yes," Meadow promised, "I will. I swear. I'll be okay, I think," she rambled, "Thank you and I'm sorry."

" _You have nothing to apologize fo_ _r_ _my dear_ ," Meadow could hear the smile in Xavier's voice, " _Everything will be all right_."

"I believe you," Meadow breathed out a long sigh, "Bye."

" _Goodbye_."

She hung up the phone and returned it to her pocket, leaning over and burying her face in her hands.

She cursed under her breath. Was this it, then? Was she really just going to _stay_ in Forks? She was angry at herself for chickening out. What if the Professor had easily agreed and persuaded Charlie to let her return to the Institute?

However, if that had been in the case, she would have had to talk to Jasper before that happened. Though, now she had more time. Maybe, he would come back to the Institute with her.

"But if they're all mutants, wouldn't they all have to come?" Meadow groaned as the words left her mouth, "That would just be great," she said sarcastically, "Ugh!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she stood up from the seat she had taken, "Don't overthink."

She was starting to get cold, but decided to stay on the beach for awhile longer. She looked up, eyeing the cliffs. They reminded her of the training grounds.

"Hey!"

The very deep voice that called out to Meadow came before the nothing but serious and mature emotions hit her.

Her face was smooth as she turned to face the male and she easily kept the wariness off her face when she saw him.

The man had long, rounded muscles, an older face, copper skin, cropped black hair and brown eyes. He was quite tall, around 6'6" and obviously from the Reservation. He was wearing nothing but a pair of cutoff shorts.

"Hello," she greeted when he got close enough.

"You're Meadow Swan," he said, not asking.

She glared at him, "That depends who's asking."

He looked surprised, but nodded and held out a hand, "Sam Uley. I got a call from Billy that you might be down here. He had some concerns about you getting home."

Just from the one handshake, Meadow's entire body warmed. Sam was hot to the touch, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

She had totally forgone any plans of getting home, mostly playing this whole situation by ear.

"And I'm supposed to just go with you?" she asked, hand going to return to her pocket, "You could be a serial killer for all I know, Sam Uley."

Sam quirked an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips, "Well, I'm not," he assured her with a short laugh, "I have better things to do with my life."

There was more to that sentence than he let on, a little fear, she gathered from his emotions and Meadow's shoulders slumped.

"Are you all right?" she asked, honestly wanting to know, "Aren't you cold?"

"No," Sam shook his head, folding his arms across his broad chest, "I'm fine. Are you all right? You look unwell."

"I'm fine," she said, biting her lip.

"Are you liking Forks?" Sam asked, beginning to walk. Meadow followed,

"No," Meadow rolled her eyes, "It doesn't appeal to me. I'm from New York."

"Wow…" Sam looked genuinely interested, "You're a long way from home."

"3,009.5 miles," Meadow recited, "I'm hoping to go back soon. What about you?"

He shrugged, "I've lived here on the Rez my entire life. It's home."

There was such sincerity in both his voice and his emotions that Meadow found herself smiling.

"That's sweet," she commented, "Really sweet. So," she started as they continued down the beach, "How do you know Billy?"

"He's one of the Elders of our Tribe," Sam said with a proud smile, "He's basically family and has helped me out a lot. What about you?"

"Charlie's friend from ages ago, I guess," she told him, peeking up from under her long lashes, "And he helped me out earlier. I needed some privacy and he said this was the place for it."

"Really?" Sam arched a dark eyebrow.

Sam's emotions were intensely wary and Meadow bit her lip, trying to come off as innocent as the emotions she pushed at him.

"Yes," she peered up at the sky, then looked back at him, "I've never been down here. I thought it'd be a pretty sight," she moved her eyes to ocean, "Looks like I was correct."

Sam was still wary and it wasn't until he spoke that Meadow understood why.

"Swan," he said, "You're Bella Swan's sister?"

"She's _not_ -

She stopped suddenly, teeth going to dig into her lip as she recalled Billy's words that he had spoken to her only a couple hours ago.

"… _I've taken Bella's '_ _ **accident**_ _' very seriously and we'll be watching to ensure it doesn't happen again_."

"Hey, are you okay?"

There was a hand waving in front of her face and she looked up to see Sam looking down at her oddly.

"Yeah," she said, nodding, "Yeah, I'm fine," she looked at him, having to crane her neck to do so, "You're one of them, aren't you? You're… _watching_."

Sam's face was expressionless, a mask of nothing and he turned to look behind him just as a breeze ghosted over them, bringing with it the scent of the ocean.

"We should go," he said, "It's getting cold," however, his tone implied that the idea of getting cold was obscene.

"Hey, Billy's the one that told me, you know," she proclaimed, "Not about you specifically, but he did say 'we'll be watching'."

"You're reading too much into this," Sam declared, beginning to walk, "It's getting cold," he repeated as if talking to a child.

"I needed privacy from the Cullens!" Meadow called, rushing to keep up his long strides, "Three of them are at my house. That's why Billy suggested I come here," she specified, "For privacy. From _them_."

Sam looked down at her, lips curling in distaste as if Meadow was some pest he couldn't get rid of. It bothered Meadow considering _he_ had come to _her_. If she chose to be immature, she could make him so scared he'd wet his pants, but that wasn't going to get her anywhere.

"And what do _you_ know about the Cullens?" he asked dryly; and while his tone was harsh, Meadow could feel the difference.

"I'm trying to figure that out," she said in the same snappy tone, but there was honesty in her voice, "I have suspicions, but that's all they are. Billy has answers, but he won't say."

Sam held her gaze and a small smile played on his lips, "Don't take it too personally. He would tell you if he could, but he can't. Seriously, we can't."

Can't…

Realization slammed into Meadow like a truck and she felt like an idiot as the dots connected in her head.

"The Cullens can't come here," she breathed pensively, "That's why this is—it's not that they don't come here, but they _can't_ …"

Sam didn't say anything in response to that, but continued to stare, even when Meadow looked off again, distracted by something in her head.

The loud cry of a seagull startled Meadow and she looked up as the first droplet of rain hit her eye, causing them to flutter. The sky had darkened considerably and she had no sense of the time that her and Sam had been standing there.

Meadow was in shock. Why couldn't the Cullens come to the beach? Were the Quileutes anti-mutant? Obviously Sam knew _something_ about the Cullens. Something big if they were forbidden to come on certain land. She almost questioned whether or not the Cullens were dangerous, but held her tongue. Anyone and anything could be dangerous. Christ, _she_ was dangerous.

Or perhaps the Cullens had broken some law the Quileutes had that she was unaware of. It was possible she was reading too much into it like Sam had said earlier to try and throw her off. Overthinking was a well-known friend of hers. But if the Cullens had done something bad, wouldn't Charlie know about it? And if Charlie knew about it, there was no way he would ever let Alice or Edward within ten miles of his house, let alone approve of Edward dating his daughter.

"Ugggggh!" she groaned, the heels of her hands going to rest on her forehead, "My brain is fried!"

Sam chuckled a pitied sound, "It's a lot to take in."

"I think I'm ready to go," she moaned.

"Sure," he agreed, turning on his heel and walking in the same long strides, "Yeah, come on."

She followed and the pair didn't speak again after that, leaving Meadow to mull over her thoughts as she always did. However, she wasn't quite in the mood this time around and dug out the book she had packed once she was situated in the car.

"You read in the car?" Sam questioned from his place in the driver's seat.

"Yes," Meadow said from the back, thankful for the change of subject. She looked up, "Are you even old enough to drive?"

"I'm nineteen," he said, "Are _you_ old enough to drive?"

"Yeah, but I don't have my license," Meadow told him, "I _just_ turned sixteen."

"Oh," Sam said, "I'll leave you to your reading."

After awhile, Meadow tucked her book away and she addressed Sam, a little skeptical, "You know where you're going, don't you?"

"Yes," Sam sounded exasperated, "I have much more important things to do than kidnap you."

Sure enough, Sam did know where he was going and it wasn't until she saw Charlie's cruiser, that she realized she must have been gone longer than she thought.

She idled in leaving the car, "Thank you," she told Sam, "And pass that on to Billy, please? He helped a lot. You both did. Seriously, thank you."

"No problem," Sam tapped his fingers on the wheel, "Maybe I'll see you around."

"You will," Meadow said, confident, "I'll be visiting the beach."

"Cool," Sam mumbled, his eyes looking faraway as he gazed at the house. He was tense.

"Cool," Meadow echoed, opening the door, "See ya'."

Sam, she noticed, didn't leave. Not even when she had successfully opened the front door. It was only when she was walking towards the kitchen, that she heard his tires crunch against the gravel, signaling that he was pulling out of the driveway.

"Hey, Meadow," Charlie greeted casually, "Did you have fun with Billy?"

"Yeah," she said, not acknowledging Bella or her two pale minions, "Fun."

"Well, are you hungry?" Charlie asked, "Alice and Bella cooked and it's really great."

"No," Meadow declined, "I'm not hungry."

"Meadow," Charlie frowned at her, "You need to eat. Dr. Cullen said you have to start taking better care of yourself. You know this. He called, by the way and it'd be nice if you called him back."

"Yeah, I will," Meadow promised emptily, "Can I at least shower, first? I was at the beach all day."

Charlie still didn't look happy and eyed Meadow's attire. Finally, he nodded.

"You're going to shower, then come eat," he told her firmly, "Then, call Dr. Cullen back. Understand?"

"Yeah," Meadow wasn't in the mood to argue. She had too much to mull over, "Got it, Charlie."

He nodded, both satisfied and proud of himself, allowing Meadow to retreat upstairs.

"So annoying," she breathed, taking the stairs two at a time.

She had almost forgotten the mess she had left in her room and who she had put in charge of taking care of it as well the cat she was sure she was now holding hostage, but it all came rushing back when she saw the door, closed tightly.

She went into her room, shutting the door behind her and pressing the lock into place. When she turned, she saw her room was absolutely and completely spotless. She could probably eat food off the floor and bounce a quarter off her mattress. Her bed was made and the cat was curled up as if she had never been disturbed. Even the alarm clock was set to the right time.

She went forward and placed her damp backpack on the bed. It was going to be a bit of a pain to set all her candles out again.

"You have three seconds," she said suddenly, barely above a whisper, "To come out or I swear to God I will scream bloody murder, then burn your house down."

No one emerged. Not from the shadows, her closet, or out of thin air. It was solely Meadow and the unnamed cat in her room.

"I don't understand…" she breathed, looking around the bedroom, "I could've sworn I…" she cut herself off again, detecting none of the emotional signature that she was sure she had felt.

She shook herself off, dropping to the ground to pull her suitcase from under the bed, searching for pajamas.

She really was starting to lose her mind.

" **Yes** … **you are**."

' _What do you_ _ **want**_ _from me_?' she demanded of the voice.

"…"

She sighed. With the many times that she had frowned today, she was sure she was going to prematurely wrinkle along with the gray that would make their appearance in her hair.

The shower provided much needed relief to her tense muscles and she relished in the hot water that burned her skin as she combed through her thick doll curls and washed away the scent of the beach.

She still felt unwell, the steam almost making it difficult for her to breathe. She was going to have to manipulate Charlie's emotions in order to get out of dinner. Eating something that wasn't prepared by either herself or someone who was aware of her severe allergy was too risky and while she took risks often, this one not one she was willing to take.

She stepped out of the shower, toweling off and getting dressed in her pajamas. She made quick work of applying her night acne moisturizer and braiding her hair into a simple three-stand plait before she returned to her room to put away her things.

She sighed when she spotted her bag on her bed. She still needed to set out her candles for tonight's meditation. Sure, she was usually quick about it, but she was…exhausted.

She pet the cat once, kissing her on the forehead. A lot had happened today and she cursed when she remembered she still had to call Dr. Cullen.

' _What is with me_?' she ran a hand over her freshly washed face. Charlie had informed her not even an hour ago that she was to call Dr. Cullen and already she had forgotten.

' _I need to sleep_ ,' she rationalized, ' _That's all and then everything will be fine_.'

Able to feel the irritation and impatience that Charlie was feeling, Meadow sucked everything up and left her room to head downstairs.

She stopped on the last step, gripping the handrail tightly and trying to keep herself upright. She was dizzy again and placed a hand to her forehead as she took a deep breath.

Was this recent ailment karma? Meadow was a bitch, she knew that. In fact, she was sure that everyone knew that. She was bitter, sad and defensive, unable to open up to most people. Her past didn't excuse her actions and she did feel bad for how she sometimes treated people and while she accepted being a mutant, having a gift that was constantly at work grew tiresome.

This was all going to come back to bite her one day. Logan had warned her, Xavier had warned her and Storm had warned her. Logan in particular had bluntly warned that her attitude at times set a bad example for reasons to accept mutants. What was the point if they were only going to treat you terribly?

She held grudges, that's what she did. Once someone got on her bad side, they were permanently stuck there. She wasn't going to forgive Charlie, Bella or Renee, but if she faked it like she was trying to do with the Cullens, then that made her no better than Magneto.

At that abrupt comparison, dread pooled in her stomach and she moved her hand from her forehead to her mouth.

What if she wasn't meant to be with the X-Men? What if she was meant to be with the Brotherhood? What if she wasn't meant to be with either?

" **You manipulate people for your own selfish reasons** ," the voice returned, crooning, " **No matter how you look at it** , **you** _ **control**_ **them**. **Force them to bend and let go of their own free will**."

"Meadow, dinner's getting cold."

A rough hand landed on her shoulder and Meadow shook it off, refusing to look up at Charlie with her tearful eyes.

"Are you feeling sick again?" he asked, wondering if he should yell for Alice or Edward to bring a trashcan.

It was then that Meadow realized she still had her hand over her mouth and she lowered it, shaking her head.

"Cramps," she managed to whisper, knowing that Charlie out of all people would cringe at the mention of 'girl problems'.

Charlie's face flamed red and he coughed into his fist, "Oh. Right, well, um…"

She rubbed furiously at her eyes, but still didn't look up. She was fearful of letting go of the rail in case she fell over.

"I-I'm going to eat dinner in my room, if that's all right," she said, "And I'll call Dr. Cullen. My cramps are really-

"Yeah, yeah, great, fine," Charlie agreed, waving a hand, "As long as you eat."

Meadow shakily walked past Charlie while he was still stuttering out a reply and saw that there was already a plate set out for her at the table.

"Thank you," she whispered, picking it up with the silverware, "It looks…great."

She took the home phone off its hook as she passed and picked up an apple from the fruit bowl, leaving the kitchen without another word.

"Goodnight, Meadow," Bella called, hesitant as always.

Meadow faltered in her steps, only for a half-second, before she continued on her way.

"Night," she muttered, doubtful she was heard.

She trudged up the stairs, closing the door to her room with her foot.

"Sorry," she said when the cat startled.

She abandoned the plate of food on her dresser, but kept the apple, going to sit on her bed. She managed the smallest of smiles when the cat came to plop down next to her and Meadow reached out to stroke her.

"I need to find you a home," she told her, pressing the redial button on the phone.

"Hey, Dr. Cullen," she muttered, "This is Meadow Swan and I'm going completely freakin-

" _This is Dr. Cullen_ ," came the curt voice when the phone clicked.

Color filled Meadow's cheeks and she really hoped he hadn't heard her brief dialogue.

She recovered quickly, "Hello, this is Meadow Swan," she greeted, her voice still unsteady, "Charlie informed me that you called."

" _Ah_ , _Meadow_ ," Carlisle sounded both genuinely happy and relieved to hear her voice, " _I'm glad that you called_. _I simply wanted to check-in with you_. _How are you feeling_?"

"Fine," she said automatically, though she was anything but, "A lot better."

" _Good_ ," Carlisle said, his tone laced with disbelief, " _Have any of your symptoms reoccurred_?"

' _They never left_ ,' she thought, hesitating with her answer.

Was it possible for Carlisle to be a doctor for mutants? For special people who could do things that others couldn't? And if so, didn't that mean she could trust to tell him what was going on?

" **No** ," the voice chimed, " **You can't trust anyone**. **Certainly not the** **Cullens**. **You know better than to let your guard down**."

Meadow bit her lip. That much was true. She didn't trust the Cullens, not at all, and had a terrible history with doctors; especially surgeons. She had simply been vulnerable lately. That wasn't an excuse to slip up.

" _Meadow_?" Carlisle's voice, worried and medical interrupted her panicked thoughts, " _Are you still there_?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here," she said quickly, absently stroking the cat, "Really, I feel fine, Dr. Cullen. In fact, I just ate dinner and was about to get ready for bed," her tone was curt, signaling an end to the conversation.

" _Well_ , _good_ ," Carlisle said, still concerned, " _I'm glad_ …" he paused, awkwardly, " _Meadow_ , _dear_ , _are you sure there's_ _ **nothing**_ _you would like to tell me_?"

She bristled at the term of endearment, biting hard on her lower lip to stifle the snarky comment that she wanted to snap at him. Wasn't this a little personal for a doctor's call?

"I'm _sure_ ," she ground out through gritted teeth, "Your concern is appreciated, but again…I'm fine."

" _Very well_ ," Carlisle said with a reluctant sigh, " _Please_ , _take care of yourself_."

The call was ended and Meadow let her phone slip from her fingers as she flopped down onto her bed, cursing when she heard it hit the floor with a dull 'thud'.

She reached up, covering her face with her hands to muffle the loud groan of pure misery she let out, the sound only growing louder when she heard her phone start to buzz against the floor. It was probably the Professor to see how she was doing after her mini-breakdown earlier about wanting to go back to the Institute.

" **Why should you go back**?," the voice chimed, sounding oddly gleeful, " **Why shouldn't you shut them out as they have done with you**? **They didn't** _ **fight**_ **for you to stay**. **They don't** _ **want**_ **you**."

The phone continued to vibrate and Meadow continued to lie there; unmoving. Even when the phone gave another vibration, telling her that she had a voicemail, still she didn't move to pick it up.

* * *

"I'm really glad you came, today."

Meadow looked up from where she had been intensely watching an ant wriggle around in the damp grass to smile weakly at Angela. She had finally come to one of the soccer practices, but could hardly focus, still stuck on her Magneto comparison and the fact that she was now questioning where she belonged.

Seeing Angela's expectant stare, she forced her smile a little wider.

"Me too," she muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees. She nodded her head toward the field, making her eyes a little bigger.

"You guys are great!" she chimed. She smirked, "And your uniforms aren't _too_ hard on the eyes."

Angela laughed, a quiet and shy sound, "Yeah. It took us almost a year of fundraising," she shook her head, "It's hard in such a small town, but branching out towards Seattle made it work. It was funny—a lot of people thought we were a scam because they've never heard of Forks, but…" her cheeks colored when she realized she was rambling.

"Well, you got what you wanted," Meadow concluded, "And you worked hard for it."

Angela's cleats nervously kicked at the grass and Meadow eased the girl's nerves, replacing it with confidence that would help Angela state what would quell her curiosity.

"You know," Angela finally said, "If we had one more player, we'd finally be eligible to compete against other schools."

' _Subtly apparently doesn't exist in this Godforsaken place_ ,' Meadow thought, resisting a heavy eye roll.

"I'll think about it," Meadow smiled tersely, "I haven't even tried out, yet. None of you have seen me play."

" _Angela_ , _let's go_!" Cassie called impatiently, " _We need you out here_!"

"Maybe next time," Angela said, voice colored with the same amount of hope that she was projecting. She giggled, suddenly, "Hey, it looks like you have a visitor. See you later, Meadow!"

She jogged off and Meadow stifled a groan when she felt the new signature. The fact that she was so well-attuned made her want to jam her head into the grass she was picking at, but she forced herself to relax, biting her lip when the Southern drawl spoke.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Jasper asked, gesturing towards the blanket she was sitting on.

"It's a free country," Meadow grumbled, "Well, actually it's not, but do whatever you want, I don't care."

"You care enough to comment," Jasper drawled, sitting down and crossing his legs.

"Ugh!" Meadow scoffed, ripping out a fistful of grass, "What are you, stalking me? When are you and your creepy family going to leave me the hell alone?"

"You think we're creepy?" Jasper asked.

Meadow went rigid. Was this is? Was this going to happen now? So soon? So sudden? Just like that?

"I _know_ you're creepy," she whispered. Apparently, it was going to happen now.

"Okay."

Meadow's head snapped up in surprise, but she managed to keep her mask in place, pressing her lips together as her eyes swept Jasper's face. His stupid, annoying handsome freakin' face.

"Okay?" she parroted.

"Yeah," Jasper shrugged a little, "Okay."

"Seriously?" Meadow asked, a little irritated, "You're not going to…you know, _deny_ anything?"

"Deny anything?" Jasper echoed, turning to meet her eyes, "What do I have to deny? I haven't admitted anything."

She arched an eyebrow and then she scoffed, "Because you don't _have_ to."

He exhaled a sigh and shook his head. Then, he chuckled lightly, "Darlin', you're such a know-it-all."

"Not really," she disagreed casually, going back to watching the soccer team, "I know when I'm right. At least, about this."

"Is that so?" he pushed, "And what are you right about, darlin'?"

Blood rushed to Meadow's cheeks and she dropped her eyes to her shoes. The nickname warmed her heart at the same time it made her want to vomit.

"Trying to Southern Charm me?" she teased, playing with the end of her plait, "Look, I don't think this is the appropriate place to have this type of discussion."

"I agree," Jasper nodded, "Where would be the appropriate place?"

"I went to the beach the other day," she quipped, counting on his reaction, "We could go there. It's on the Rez."

To anyone else, it would seem as though Jasper hadn't heard her or maybe he didn't care, but to Meadow's eyes, she saw the subtle way his jaw clenched, the hesitance of his fingers that had started to drum an even beat against his thigh.

"Yeah," she nodded climbing to her feet, "Mhm, that's exactly what I thought. Here's the thing Jasper and this is was really gets me. Are you listening? Ready?" her tone had a slight maniacal note to it and she cleared her throat, "Here's the kicker: _Stop_ trying to play a game against someone who can play it better!"

Jasper's head swung to face her so fast that it was almost a blur and then he was in front of her, mere inches, his eyes narrowed dangerously. She could smell his breath and it was so sweet that it was dizzying, but she didn't miss the goosebumps that raised on her skin from the icy temperature.

"Careful there, Cowboy," she smirked, "We're in public, remember?"

"You're cocky," Jasper said, his tone surprisingly pleasant.

"Not cocky, confident," she corrected, "Just like you."

"Just like me, hm?" he asked softly.

Meadow's breath hitched when one cool finger began to trail slowly down her cheek. Not only was he trying to calm her down, but he was trying to warp her emotions into some kind of satisfaction. No doubt so that she would let this go until he walked off. Maybe he was planning to skip town.

"Weren't you listening?" she asked, pouting, "Stop trying to play a game against someone who can play it better, Cowboy," she caught his hand, yanking it roughly from her face. She glared at him, "You're only going to end up disappointed. Seriously, knock it off!"

Jasper's eyes brightened and he took a small step back from her, "I see this isn't going to go anywhere."

"Not today," Meadow said firmly, mimicking his stance, "Not here."

"Tomorrow, then," Jasper decided, "My house, yeah?"

"Just us?" Meadow asked skeptically.

"Just us," Jasper promised.

Meadow forced herself to relax and she projected a sliver of trust, nodding, "Okay."

One side of Jasper's lips twitched up in a small smile and he crossed his arms, "I'll send over a ride for you. Some directions too."

She didn't return the smile, but nodded, "As long as you don't cut the brakes, it sounds like a plan."

He actually looked offended, "Trust me, darlin', I wouldn't ever wish you harm."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" she demanded softly.

"It suits you quite well. Do you not like it?" he asked, "My apologies."

She blushed again and turned her head away before she turned fully, preparing to leave.

"It doesn't matter," she finally said, giving him a sidelong glance, "Tomorrow, your house. See you then."

"Looking forward to it," Jasper said sincerely.

Unsure of how to respond, Meadow left the field after a brief wave to Angela. She wanted to rip Jasper's head off and possibly maybe hug him all at the same time.

' _I'd only rip his head off if I could reattach it_ ,' she thought, clutching the strap of her backpack.

She jumped, startled by the harsh vibrating in her pocket and she grumbled angrily as she yanked it out of her pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello!?" she snapped.

" _Like_ , _whoa there_ ," chimed the prissy voice on the other end, " _Someone's snippy snappy_ , _today_."

"Kitty," Meadow breathed, "I'm sorry," she perked up a little, "I'm glad you called. I could use some cheering up."

" _Yeah_?" Kitty chirped, " _No_ , _wait_ , _like_ , _hold on_. _What's this I hear about you coming home_? _And a family of mutants_? _Ugh_ , _Doe_ , _this is like_ , _**so**_ _not cool_! _You_ _ **promised**_ _to keep us in the loop_."

" **Like they do with you**?"

The voice had a point. She hadn't heard anything about missions, boys, The Brotherhood. Meadow was actually craving Kitty's trivial gossip. Were Jean and Duncan still together? Was he still a complete airhead? Probably.

"Um, I think I'm goin—I'm doing a lot better, now," Meadow supplied, walking off campus, "I might join the soccer team and…" she took a quick look around, "Yeah, a family of mutants, I think and one of them is an Empath, can you believe it!? I'm meeting with him, tomorrow."

" _Whoa_ , _like_ , _chill for a moment_ ," Kitty said, having trouble keeping up, " _Okay_ , _so like_ , _a family of_ _mutants_ , _huh_? _Be careful and don't let anythi_ — _oh_ , _wait_! _Here's Jean_! _she's totally better at this than I am_!"

Meadow's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Wow, it felt like it had been ages since she had talked to the redhead. While the soccer incident had left her feeling awkward and unsure in Jean's perfect presence, Meadow did miss her. Jean had been her first friend…

" _Doe_?" Jean asked.

"Hey!" Meadow wiped the moisture from her eyes, "Hey, Jeannie."

She could practically hear Jean wrinkle her nose. The redhead loathed the nickname, but it was fun to tease her with it. Scott had done it often, apparently when they had been younger, but he had mostly grown out of the habit.

" _You're soooo cute_ ," Jean drawled out sarcastically, " _I miss you and I heard you're going on your first recruitment_?"

' _She misses_ _ **me**_?' Meadow thought, ' _They do care_ …'

"I miss you too and yeah, I don't know…" Meadow found the end of her plait again, "I don't know what these people are. They could be mermaids for all I know. I'm kind of going in blind, but I know something's up. One of them is an Empath. Jasper."

" _Jasper_ , _huh_?" Jean asked, " _The Professor trusts you and we're all wishing you luck_. _Remember_ , _I recruited Kitty and tried to recruit Rogue at firs_ t. _Be friendly_ , _not too intense and most of all_ , _Doe be welcoming_. _Remember what the real mission is_ : _peace_. _Okay_?"

"Friendly, welcoming, not too intense, peace," Meadow listed. She nodded, "Got it…" she frowned, "What if they're not mutants, though? What if they _are_ mermaids or something? Or spirits?" she threw her free hand up, "Jean, what if they're a family of Big Foots?"

Jean laughed, " _Then I'm sure they'd be much more hairy and you can still be welcoming_. _It doesn't mean we can't all work together_. _But that's up to them_. _Be safe_. _You can do this_."

"Thank you," Meadow said sincerely, "I'll be careful and I'll make sure to report back."

" _Great_ ," Jean said in approval, " _Are you doing okay in Forks_? _Are you taking my advice_? _Thinking positive_?"

Meadow rolled her eyes, "Yup."

She didn't know if Jean had decided to pass the phone off or if Kitty had grown so impatient that she had ripped it from Jean's fingers, but the next thing she knew, Kitty was screeching in her ear.

" _Ohmigosh_ , _Doe_ , _you are_ _ **so**_ _totally_ , _completely_ _ **in love**_ _with this Jasper guy_!" Kitty squealed, " _Ahhhhh_!"

Meadow's eyes almost popped out of her head and for a split second, she wondered what kind of freaky Twilight Zone she had entered.

"What kind of _drugs_ are _you_ on?" she demanded of her best friend, "I never said-

" _You don't have to_ _ **say**_ _i_ t," Kitty continued to squeal to the point where it was barely intelligible, " _I knew it as soon as you said his name_! _So_ , _tell me_ : _what's he look like_? _Is his cute_? _Tall_ — _well_ , _it's not_ _ **too**_ _hard to be taller than you_ , _but_ , _like_ , _totally no offense_. _I guess I shouldn't talk_ , _like_ , _I'm shorter than_ _you_ , _but only by one inch_! _So_ , _anyway_ -

"Kitty, Kitty," Meadow cut her off, "Seriously. In words that you'll understand: totally icksome! First of all, if anything, Jasper gets on my very last nerve and there's nothing more I want to do then punch him in the face. Seriously, him and his family…ugh! Second of all, I can't have a boyfriend. You know how that works with my powers. It turns weird."

" _But he's another Empath_ ," Kitty whined and Meadow could hear her stomp her foot, " _Doesn't that_ , _like_ , _make him perfect for you_?"

"No, it makes me want to pull all of my hair out," Meadow said bitterly, "For all we know, they could be hellbent on destroying all civilization. I'm trying not to get too attached."

"… _Fair enough_ ," Kitty receded, " _But the heart wants what the heart wants_. _Eep_ , _I want to hear_ _**everything**_ , _tomorrow_ ," she squeaked in excitement, " _We'll all be waiting_."

"Bye, Kit," Meadow laughed, "I'm getting too close to Charlie's. Talk to you tomorrow."

" _Byyyyeeeee_!" Kitty sang, giggling loudly before she hung up.

Meadow shook her head, more amused than anything.

' _In love with Jasper_ ," she thought, pretending to gag as she walked up the driveway, ' _I don't even know the guy_.'

She waited as she fumbled with her keys, expecting the voice to tease her or give its two cents, but nothing came.

"Oh, so _now_ you're quiet?" she murmured, "Wonderful."

"Who are you talking to?"

She looked up, startled to see Charlie home so early and she could feel the change in Edward's and Alice's emotions as well as Bella's when Charlie had posed his question.

' _Apparently_ , _their_ _mother_ _never taught them it's rude to eavesdrop_ ,' she huffed inside her head.

"Myself," she answered quickly.

"Uh-huh…" Charlie hummed, looking uncomfortable, "Well, how was soccer practice?"

"Fun," she said, "They need one more player and then they'll be eligible to compete against other schools."

"Really?" Charlie's eyes lit up, "Are you going to join, then?"

Charlie's hope and surprise was almost suffocating.

"I haven't tried out yet," she told him, shrugging until her bag fell down to her hand, "We'll see…" she supplied, "I'm going upstairs."

"Aren't you hungry?" Charlie called just as she took a few steps forward, "You should eat something."

"I ate with the team after school," she said, pushing satisfaction at him, "Pizza."

"Great," Charlie said with a smile, "You look better."

" **It's nice to know that your** **o** **wn father pays attention**. **Too busy with his precious Bella** , **I assume**."

"Thanks," she said, "I'm going to go do my homework."

It was when she was finally in her bedroom, door locked and candles lit, that her phone vibrated again.

"Ugh, Kitty…" she mumbled, "Nothing is going o…" she couldn't finish her sentence, falling silent at the text she read from Jean.

' _No luck from Cerebro_ ,' it read, ' _No mutants_ , _besides you_ , _detected in Forks_.'


	9. Chapter IX

"No. Way," Meadow breathed, gaping like a fish at what currently sat in the empty driveway.

It was a motorcycle. An extremely beautiful, expensive motorcycle. White and pretty and perfect. There was a matching helmet and a piece of paper taped to the handlebars. The directions, probably.

Despite the vehicle that she was tempted to steal and take to Las Vegas to marry; Meadow was a lot more nervous than she wanted to let on, for once by herself at Charlie's house. Bella was at some kind of doctor appointment with Charlie, and Meadow assumed her two minions, Edward and Alice to be with her.

It was nice to finally be alone and the unnamed cat seemed happy to roam about the house. Meadow, herself had finally been able to get in some decent meditation even as her thoughts continued to wander.

She was completely and totally stumped about what the Cullens could be. Cerebro was the most powerful machine in the world and there was no way it could glitch. If Cerebro couldn't detect any mutants (besides her) in Forks, then there were no mutants in Forks.

Still, she was going forward with the confrontation, knowing it would look suspicious if she suddenly canceled, only she planned to take extra precaution. Maybe they were humans who had rolled around in toxic waste. Either way, she planned to offer her assistance. Storm, Logan and the Professor had connections all over the place. She was sure they could help. Hopefully, the Cullens were on the good side.

" **You don't even know if** _ **you're**_ **on the good side**."

"I'm not in the mood," she practically growled, going forward in preparation to mount the bike. She could see her reflection in it.

"Okay," Meadow exhaled, pretending to stretch. She touched her toes, "First solo mission, subjects of a possible unknown species," she straightened up and began to do lunges, "But that's all right, it's okay, you've got this because you can kick butt if necessary and you're amazing," she straightened up and shook herself off, "Okay, let's do this!"

She mounted the bike and removed the piece of paper, skimming Jasper's loopy, clean handwriting. The blonde seemed to have nitpicked, adding every kind of detail to make finding the house as easy as possible. What? Did they live in the middle of nowhere? How was that possible in _Forks_?

Her heart began to pound as she slipped the paper into the pocket of her jeans, pushing her braid more to the side. She had gone for a side fishtail plait and it was pressed against her neck, making her squirm when she fitted the helmet over her head.

Technically, it wasn't legal for her to be riding, but considering Forks' very own Chief of Police was occupied, Meadow figured she could get away with it…and she planned to.

This motorcycle was a little more high tech than Logan's and it took a moment to figure it out, but as the bike began to roll forward, she put her feet up on the kegs. Once she was out of the driveway without further incident, she really began to accelerate.

She could only describe the feeling as exhilarating. The ride was smooth, the engine akin to silent. At the same time, the easy danger from riding the bike only added to her adrenaline. One wrong move, a toe out of line and she could crash despite the lack of cars on the road. It made her feel accomplished and grateful that Jasper had trusted her, not only with his bike, but with the fact that he knew she could do it.

Even through the helmet, she could smell the earthy, mossy and overall clean scent as she sped over the bridge of the Callawah river. She even felt the temperature change and swore she could taste the air.

She had to stop, quite a few times—well, multiple times, really in order to look over the directions. At one point, she thought she was going to crash with the number of trees she had wind through. She thought perhaps Jasper had set her up or maybe he really planned on ambushing her because suddenly, all the houses disappeared until she was riding through nothing but misty forest.

She was wary, all senses on high alert, until she stopped to look at the directions once more and saw that she was supposed to make a turn on an unpaved road. If he hadn't written such specific instructions, she would have missed the road hidden among the ferns.

The serpent-like road was a thin strip due to the large and ancient trees that surrounded it. She wove through the trees, her hands growing slick with sweat as she started to fear she would crash. She slowed a little, having more important things to worry about as she neared her destination.

She couldn't detect any emotional signatures, dimming the thought of an ambush and after a few miles, the woods that began to become a little claustrophobic, began to thin and she found herself in a small meadow.

A closer look had her slowing the speed of the bike, almost stopping fully when she saw the six  
primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story.

Speeding up a bit more, she pulled right into the large garage that had been left open and didn't bother to start counting all the luxurious vehicles, though she took note of the Wrangler-style Jeep.

She got off the bike and put the kick stand down, making sure it was steady before she removed the helmet, checking her hair in one of the cars side mirrors. She fished a bobby-pin from the pocket of her jacket and pinned back the few wisps that made her hair look untidy.

Satisfied, she left the garage and was stunned at the sound of the river she could hear close by. As she walked up to the house, she saw how big it really was. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned—beautiful, timeless and graceful.

She tried to quell her nerves, hands shoved into her pockets as she walked up to the deep porch. The front door opened before she reached it.

Jasper smiled at her, "I'm glad to see you're in one piece, darlin'."

"Yep, I am," she chimed, hesitantly returning the smile, "Ducati ST4S ABS. Nice. It was a smooth ride. Thank you."

"Of course," Jasper stepped aside, inviting her in.

Walking through the front door, opened onto a huge space, the walls having been removed to make one large room. The walls, the high beamed ceiling, the wooden floors and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white and she noticed the spectacular grand piano just to the left of the door on a raised floor portion, another door behind the piano. Though it wasn't really a door, more of a long wall that curved around it, a little like a screen.

On the wall, there was a large flat-screen television and a couple of computers nearby. There was a seating area grouped near the television that she had been able to see diagonally from her left when she walked in.

Other groups of chairs and couches, filled the rest of the enormous space in the living room, but Meadow turned her attention back to the piano.

"Who plays?" she asked quietly, running her hand gently over it, "It's beautiful."

"Edward does," Jasper went to stand beside her, "Rosalie too."

"Hmmm," Meadow hummed contently, thinking fondly of both Jean and Storm, "I see."

She reluctantly turned away from the piano and noticed the south-facing wall was entirely made of glass and Meadow walked closer, now able to see the shimmering river that she had heard outside.

"Your house is gorgeous," she told him sincerely.

"My mother, Esme, restored it," Jasper said, eyes following her movements.

"She has quite the talent," she replied, arching an eyebrow at the keypad on the wall. She pointed at it, "Does this house act as a bomb shelter, too?"

Jasper smiled wryly, "Yeah, something like that," he gestured to one of the many chairs, "Let's talk."

"Let's," Meadow agreed, going to sit on the couch. She stopped when she reached it, her whole body stiffening. Emotions flashed through her: Disappointment, sadness, betrayal. She whirled around to face Jasper, positive that he could feel her sudden anger.

"Are you _freakin_ ' kidding me?" she demanded in a low voice that began to grow in volume. She threw her hands up, "Are you serious, right now!? Do you _want_ me to kick your ass!?" she wasn't much for swearing, but she was furious.

"What?" Jasper asked, perplexed, "What's wrong?"

Meadow stomped closer to him and shoved him backward, the hardness of his skin, clapping against hers, making her hands sting.

"Did you think I wouldn't know that you're family's here?" she yelled, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

She didn't bother to reign in her emotions and if it wasn't for Jasper trying to calm her, she surely would've broken something by now. She hadn't noticed the other emotional signatures at first, figuring they were only remnants, but when she had gone to sit down, Jasper announcing that it was time to talk, her guard had gone back up, senses on high-alert. She felt all of them: Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Edward. They were all here.

Despite her shaking with anger, Jasper remained calm, a shadow passing over his face.

"My apologies-

"Don't," Meadow snapped, "If you were really sorry, then you wouldn't have done it in the first place!" she tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed, "Did you think I wouldn't notice? What? Are you going to ambush me?"

"We would never do that, Meadow."

She spun on her heel, coming face-to-face with the rest of the Cullen's. It had been Alice who spoke, her hands clasped in front of her. She stood next to another woman, who Meadow assumed to be Mrs. Cullen. She was 5'6" tall, with billows of gently waving, caramel-colored hair. Her face was heart-shaped with dimples, and her figure was slender but rounded, her eyes the same golden color as the rest of her family.

"I'm sorry for lying to-

"Shut up, no you're not," Meadow interrupted Jasper and continued to face away from him, "You're sorry that you got caught. Which in fact, you should be."

" **It is not wise to cross you**. **Warn them**."

"It's not wise to cross me," she repeated the voice's words.

"You expect us to be scared of _you_?" Rosalie demanded, sneering down at her.

"No," Meadow said, "But you expect me to be scared of you, don't you, Rosalie? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not."

Rosalie hissed dangerously at her and took a step forward, which Meadow mimicked.

This was all falling to pieces, going in the complete opposite direction. She had completely forgotten Jean's advice and now, she was stuck in the very same position the Professor had worried about. She was caught in the middle and she wanted to burst into tears.

"Look," Emmett said, holding up a hand. His other went to rest on Rosalie's shoulder, "We're not going to hurt you. Seriously, we just want to talk."

Meadow rolled her eyes, but didn't drop her defensive stance nor the venom in her voice, "Then talk! You didn't have to lie to me."

"You're right," Carlisle said, eyes soft, "That was a mistake on all of our parts and we are sorry. Truly sorry," his eyes followed Meadow's when her blue eyes darted to the window, "Please, don't go. You're welcome here."

"I'm sure…" Meadow drawled out. She jerked forward when she felt Jasper's hand coming to land on her shoulder, "Don't," she warned firmly, "Touch me, Jasper. I'm not in the mood for hypothermia."

Emmett's light chuckle eased some of the tension and she quickly submerged herself in his emotions. It wouldn't do her any good if she actually broke something. She was here to discuss their abnormalities, not hers.

"Why don't you sit?" Alice asked, bouncing on her toes.

"I'm fine, I think I'll stand," Meadow said curtly. She felt a harsh emotion hit her and her eyes went to Edward, "Aww, Edward, what's the matter? You look all tense."

"You're an enigma, Meadow Swan," was all he said, clearly in pain.

Meadow played with her braid, "Aren't we all?" she shrugged, examining her nails, "But I'm better at it than you are."

Another hiss escaped Rosalie's perfectly white teeth and Emmett's hand on her tightened.

"Why are you here!?" she spat.

"Yes, why don't I get to the point?" Meadow exhaled. She shrugged, "None of you are human, it's actually painfully obvious. So, why don't you tell me what you really are—seriously, no judgment and I'll be on my merry way. I have things to do."

She had said this so casually, that it took a long while for anyone to respond.

"And it would be nice," she turned her head to look at Jasper, glaring heatedly, "If you would _stop_ trying to control my emotions. It's annoying," she went back to facing the rest of the family.

Rosalie didn't miss a beat, "Kill her."

All Meadow knew, was that at one point, she had been flipped over backwards, then Jasper and Alice stood in front of her snarling and hissing at Rosalie who was being restrained by Emmett's ginormous form. Carlisle, Edward and Esme stood in the middle, Carlisle in particular, the perfect picture of authority. He was the leader.

"That's enough!" he boomed, "Emmett, get Rosalie upstairs," his eyes went to Meadow, disappointed, "I think it'd best if you leave, now."

" **Good** , **very good** ," the voice congratulated.

Cursing under her breath, Meadow stepped around Alice and Jasper, ignoring the hand he held out,"No wait!" she begged, hating herself for it, "Please, I…I-I'm sorry. This is going all wrong. Please, let me explain. Hear me out."

"Give her another chance," it was Edward who spoke, surprising them all, "Emmett, don't go yet."

Alice and Jasper straightened out of their protective crouches, eyeing their blonde sister warily who was forced onto the first step of the wide, massive curving staircase on the west of the room.

"One more chance," Meadow pleaded, remembering Jean's words to her, "I can't express how wrong this went. It was supposed to be much more civil. It wasn't and that's my fault. I lost my cool."

Carlisle's eyes darted between all of them, before locking on Meadow's blue orbs. After a minute, he nodded at Emmett who began to loosen his hold on his wife.

"Rose," Alice scolded, "You were going to kill Bella's sister!" she placed her hands on her hips, "Apologize."

Meadow could feel Jasper's intense wave of calm radiating out from him and she took a deep breath, thinking of the Professor. If the meeting had left off with Carlisle demanding she leave, she didn't think she'd be able to take the disappointment.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you," Rosalie drawled out in boredom as if this wasn't the first time. She scowled and crossed her arms, "I didn't mean it."

Meadow placed a hand over her heart, "I'm touched, Rosalie. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

Emmett laughed again and the tension eased a bit.

"Sit," Carlisle said to Meadow, gesturing towards a chair. It was a command more than anything.

She hesitated to do so, but did as she was told, Jasper's calm still influencing the room. She crossed her ankles and watched intensely as everyone made themselves more comfortable. It was too robotic and they tried too hard to make it casual.

"Why don't I start over?" Meadow said, biting her lip.

"Yes, that would be nice," Esme agreed, looking a bit nervous, "Please."

' _I can do this_ ,' Meadow thought, taking another deep breath.

"We all have our secrets," she started, voice more confident than she felt, "I get that. Honestly, I do. I'll admit that I'm curious about your nature. I _know_ you're not human, but if you don't want to tell me what you really are, then fine. All I want to know is, what are your motives? Good? Bad?"

"We don't _have_ any motives," Rosalie snapped, "We just want to live in peace."

"So, you're happy here?" Meadow clarified, "You're not-

Alice cut her off, "What do _you_ think we are?"

Meadow looked at her, "I don't know. Your skin is ice cold, you don't eat human food, you can do…" she glanced at Jasper, " _Odd things_ and I know that you don't sleep…"

She trailed off as everyone had become tense.

' _That's right_ ,' she thought smugly, ' _You all thought I was some kind of_ _imbecile_. _I pay attention_ , _I_ _ **know**_ _things_.'

She gave them a window to speak. To deny what she had just said or to burst out laughing to try and paint her as some kind of nutjob. None of them did this, so she continued.

"So, what I thought you were turned out to false, but others have told me that you're dangerous to humans."

Still, no one said anything. In fact, Jasper was the only one not moving. He was a complete statue and that's why it spooked Meadow when he spoke in his soothing Southern drawl.

"Technically," Jasper admitted, "However, we all value human life. As Rosalie said, we only want to live in peace as a family."

Were they not going to deny or even acknowledge what Meadow had previously listed!?

" **Of course they're not** ," the voice chimed, " **Why would they**? **They have no reason to trust you and you have no reason to trust them**. **If you so desired** , **perhaps you could kill them all right now**."

Meadow had to bite her tongue to keep her mouth from falling open. She couldn't respond to that. What? _What_!? Had the voice—oh my God, she was going absolutely crazy. She would _never_ —she _had_ never-

Even in her shock, she caught the hand before it could land on her shoulder and turned her head to glare at Jasper who had come to stand beside her.

"I'm fine," she said before he could ask.

His stupid perfect lips twitched up into a smile, "I don't believe you."

"Do you ever?" she countered, her glare intensifying, "I'm not done with my accusations and I haven't even asked my questions."

Emmett's obnoxious coughing and clearing his throat had Meadow dropping her hand into her lap.

"We can give you two a moment," Emmett said with a cheeky grin.

' _Ugh_ , _don't make me gag_ ,' Meadow thought, rolling her eyes.

"Let's get back to the matter at hand," she said, eyeing Jasper as he returned to his seat, "None of you have ever caused harm to a human?"

They all remained stoic, but their emotions betrayed them and Meadow began to get uncomfortable. They all felt guilty, except for Rosalie who felt a mix of pride and satisfaction.

"We value human life," Carlisle said, radiating sincerity, "We believe all human life is precious, but…" he trailed off with a difficult sigh, glancing at some his family members.

"We all make mistakes," Edward finished for his father, "And we all have our regrets."

Meadow nodded slowly, understanding, "Yeah…" she drawled with a slight frown, "I get that, but what about La Push? Not only does one of the Elders think you caused Bella's _accident_ ," she didn't miss Edward's grimace, "But I was informed you're not allowed on their land," she leaned forward, "So…what'd you do?" she asked teasingly.

"We didn't cause anyone harm," Carlisle promised, "We simply have an agreement with them."

"I see," she said. She glanced at Jasper, "You want to live in peace?" she waited for Jasper's nod, "So, whatever you are…you don't want humans to know? You want to live in secrecy, _pretending_ to be human?"

"Yes," Esme answered, placing a hand on Rosalie's arm when she flinched.

Like a floodgate, relief flooded through Meadow's veins and she exhaled a breath of relief. That meant they would in no way consider, coming back to the institute with her. Though, it didn't seem like they planned on revealing their true nature to her either, and she supposed that was okay. For now. She would figure it out. She always did.

"Okay," she said, standing up with a heavy sigh, "I guess that's it, then. Thank you for your time."

"Wait, what if we have questions?" Alice demanded, getting to her feet.

Meadow rolled her eyes, "Then ask them."

"You said you have your own secrets," Rosalie stated, "What kind of secrets?"

"I do," Meadow confirmed. She remained standing, "My reasons for being sent away to behavioral school isn't really anyone's business, is it?" she looked at Edward, "Neither is my nonexistent relationship with your girlfriend and her parents."

A few gasps were let out at Meadow's blunt terms to separate herself from her family. However, Rosalie looked impressed and relaxed a little in Emmett's hold, suddenly glaring at her brother when Edward hissed at her.

Meadow stored what she had just witnessed away for later and looked away to avoid being caught.

"What's your favorite color?" Alice asked, flashing white teeth in a wide smile.

"I—what?" Meadow blinked rapidly, thrown off guard as she looked down at the small girl, "One more time?"

"Your favorite color?" Alice asked, deadpanning, "What is it?"

Meadow looked at Jasper as if she couldn't believe what was happening and Jasper only nodded, looking quite amused as he leaned back in his seat.

"Um, okay, then," Meadow said, frowning, "I don't think I...have one."

Alice looked horrified, "You don't _have_ one?"

"Am I missing something?" Meadow asked, speaking to the whole group, "Is the world going to stop spinning?"

Carlisle smiled, "That's Alice for you. You'll get used to it."

' _You say that like I plan to stick around_ ,' Meadow thought, a bit irritated.

"You know, Meadow," Edward admonished darkly, "I caution you to be careful. Our kind…we have rules about secrecy and your prying is going to get you into serious trouble one day."

"Great," she shrugged, not missing a beat, "I'm looking forward to it. I hope it happens soon, I love trouble."

Emmett snickered, nodding at her, "We can tell. Nice scars."

He was being sincere.

"Thanks," Meadow said casually. She glanced at one on the back of her hand. That particular one had come from sparring with Spyke, "Battle scars," she joked.

A high-pitched sound suddenly echoed throughout the room and Meadow looked up to try and place where it was coming from. She realized—only adding to her list of suspicious—the noise was coming from Alice.

"Awww, you see!?" Alice squeaked, clapping her hands, "We can all be friends."

At the same time, Rosalie and Meadow snorted, then glared at each other.

"Not likely," Meadow quipped, "But hopefully, we've come to an understanding. I'll give you that."

Alice's face fell a little and she nodded, "It really is in your best interest that you not know what we are," she said, uncharacteristically serious.

"Oh, I doubt you know what my best interests are," Meadow sighed. It was silent, "Really, you could be flesh-eating zombies for all I care."

When Emmett laughed, she startled. She couldn't help it. She was sure that the sound was louder than a bomb going off and she swore she felt the house shake.

"I like this chick!" Emmett declared, "She cracks me up!"

"What happens if-

Meadow interrupted Rosalie, " _When_."

Rosalie barred her teeth, "What happens _if_ you figure out what we are?"

" _When_ I do," Meadow growled, "I-

" **Nothing** ," the voice interjected.

"Nothing," she lied, "It's not like I have anyone to tell," another lie. She would spill everything to her family in New York, but they would keep the secret—they all understood. The Cullens would be safe, but that was something Meadow was going to keep to herself.

Besides, Jasper had lied to her.

It was silent again and Meadow knew that nothing else would be said on the matter. There were a lot of holes left in their conversation and she was a little disappointed. She felt like she hadn't gotten any further, but she could feel the dull pounding that was starting in the base of her skull.

* * *

Jasper drove Meadow home.

"I want to apologize again for betraying you and having my family upstairs," he said, breaking the silence.

Meadow didn't look at him, but nodded.

"And I know," he continued, "That you're not going to keep our secret."

What a turn of events. Only months ago, he had planned to sneak into Bella's house and end the girl's life, uncaring if the clumsy brunette could keep their secret or not and now here he was, confronting that girl's sister about the very same subject matter and letting her off the hook.

He expected Meadow to snap or sneer at him with some kind of harsh comment and when she didn't, he looked over, eyebrows furrowed. She was facing forward, but her eyes were looking out the passenger window, seemingly distracted by another thought.

It was the exact look on her face she had possessed back at the house. It wasn't like when Alice got her visions. He compared it to the look Edward was known to get when he and Alice would double-team.

It was as if Meadow was having a conversation with someone who didn't exist and it appeared that she hadn't heard him.

"Meadow?" he tried again, speaking louder.

She turned her head partially towards him, frowned, then turned to face him fully. She blinked at him.

"What?" she asked, "Did you say something?"

Forcing a smile onto his face, he shook his head, his blonde hair flying, "No, nothin', Darlin'. You just looked a bit spacey."

"Yeah…" she drawled out.

"And I wanted to apologize," he repeated, "For lying to you," he was going to leave it at that, "It was cruel of me to betray your trust and I hope you can forgive me."

He couldn't read Meadow's emotions, only her eyes, which stayed locked on his. Her quietness unnerved him.

"There was no reason for you to lie to me in the first place," she said, narrowing her eyes, "My trust isn't something I just hand out Jasper, but it doesn't matter. It's fine."

It wasn't fine. He knew that and Meadow knew that, and he knew that Meadow knew he probably knew that.

She had looked away again, but he heard the sharp inhale of breath that indicated she was going to speak.

"There was something I wanted to say back at your house," she said softly, "And I chose not to say it."

Jasper said nothing and he could feel Meadow's emotions. It wasn't fear or anger or disappointment.

She felt pity. Meadow pitied him. She was sad for him. But why?

"Then say it now," he challenged, just as soft, "Could you at least look at me?"

"Shouldn't you be driving?"

"I can do both. We'll take the long way."

"Fine," her eyes locked on his and she remained unblinking, "I noticed it the other day when I grabbed your wrist. At first, I thought it was me, but then—Jasper Hale, you don't have a pulse."

Jasper tensed, then relaxed, beginning to drum his fingers on the steering wheel. It was so tense in the air he wondered if he should open a window to keep Meadow from suffocating.

He startled when Meadow let out a breathless and humorless laugh, passing a hand over her plait.

"Good," she said, "Good, I'm not crazy," she smiled sadly at him, "Your emotions betray you, cowboy."

Jasper broke eye contact first, focusing on the road ahead. He had never felt like this before. It was like…Meadow made him _thaw_. It was too easy to be open with her—to be himself. He constantly thought back to their conversation about being compared to their siblings. He appreciated how she looked fear in the face and laughed at it…hell, she had just faced a coven of seven vampires. Very impressive, but she still infuriated him to no end.

"You're making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Meadow told him, "I tell you that I know you don't have a pulse and _that's_ what you feel?"

He still didn't have a proper response to that and he could feel her irritation.

She huffed and crossed her arms, "Right, just ignore me, then," she muttered, "Gre-

He eyed her when she cut off her oncoming rant. She was doing it again. Staring off to the side as if some unknown force had rudely interrupted her.

Then, Meadow turned to him and continued as if nothing had transpired, "I have more questions."

"Of course you do," he murmured, "When do you not have questions?"

"Is that why Emmett laughed when I mentioned zombies?" Meadow asked, ignoring his comment. She narrowed her eyes, looking him up and down, "Are you some kind of weird zombie species?"

Jasper laughed, a true, genuine sound that filled the car. He wasn't sure why he was laughing. Eventually, he got himself under control.

"Let's say that I am," he offered, "Would that bother you?"

She didn't miss a beat, "It would freak me out, but ultimately, I wouldn't be bothered."

Jasper could feel Meadow's sincerity and again, he found himself unable to form a proper response. Instead, he focused on the road, taking Meadow home like he was supposed to.

Meadow took his silence in stride and for the first time since he had seen her that day, he noticed how wilted she looked. Every time he saw her, it looked like she had spent the day recovering from an awful cold.

"Ugh, can you at least pretend to blink?" Meadow demanded, "Or you could take a picture. It'll last longer."

Jasper sighed and shook his head, "Do you ever give it a rest!?"

"Don't you think if I could, I would?"

He had never heard her voice be so quiet and raw. In fact, he didn't think it was at all possible. She was always yelling or snapping at someone. He had caught her when she left her room, looking like death ran her over and she had still managed to sneer in his face.

He could feel her rare vulnerability and it dwindled as she tried to cover it up with feeling guarded. She was much more sensitive to his gift than others and it showed.

"You don't have to do that," he said gently, "Cover up your emotions," he clarified, "I'm not going to judge you because you feel."

"Mmm."

So, now she had nothing to say!?

Moving his hair from his face, he sighed and pulled into Charlie's driveway, but Meadow made no move to exit the vehicle.

"Not yet," Jasper promised in a low voice, "Soon, but not yet."

She didn't hum or nod. Her response was the sound of her unbuckling her seat belt and he couldn't feel anything of her emotions.

Just as she swung her legs over to get out of the car, Jasper called out, "Would you like me to give you a ride to school, tomorrow? I'll bring you coffee."

Again, he watched as Meadow looked off to the side, eyebrows drawn together. He wondered if she was even conscious of the act.

"Um…" her face smoothed out and her tone remained distracted, "Okay."

"Okay?"

The surprise in his voice must have thrown her off, because she had turned to glare at him and he smirked when she bristled.

"Okay," he said firmly, "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Bright and early."

" _You'll_ see me tomorrow?" she demanded, "Or will your family be hiding in the trunk?"

She was furious and whatever trust Jasper had tried to build with her was diminished. He would have to fix that.

"I'm sorry, Meadow," he would never be able to express how sorry he was, "It was never my intention to deceive you-

With a roll of her eyes, Meadow interrupted him harshly, "But that's _exactly_ what your intention was. Just own up to it. You're a liar and you screwed up!"

"Meadow-

"I have to go," she got out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

Shaking his head, Jasper moved over to the passenger side, rolling down the window just as Meadow reached the front door.

"I expect a hot grande caramel latte with a pump of vanilla syrup!" Meadow shouted right before the door slammed.

With a smile on his face, Jasper chuckled and retook his seat in front of the steering wheel. This was a start, he hoped. He would earn back the slight sliver of trust that Meadow had once had for him.

* * *

 **A/N** : **A big thanks to my Beta Reader Sabrina06 who edited this chapter and all of my others.**


	10. Chapter X

Slowly, and reluctantly, Meadow moved the comforter to uncover her face. She blinked, closed her eyes, then blinked again, quite a few times. The streaks of sunlight that penetrated the closed curtains on her window, blinded her. She turned away from it, groaning when she put pressure on one of her bruised arms. Stupid playful cat.

"Up…" she moaned, fully roused from her restless sleep, "Ugh, need to get…up."

She yawned widely, wincing when she felt her lips crack and reached blindly for her chapstick on the bedside table.

Her arm flopped down to the side when she heard the chapstick fall, "Ughn! I hate my life!"

Without sitting up, she pushed herself to the edge of the bed until her top half hung over. She felt around the floor for her chapstick, until her fingers closed around the small tube.

She groaned again and relaxed, letting herself hang there like a rag doll. She felt awful and wondered if this malaise would ever stop. Someone might as well have taken her by the shoulders and shaken her until her brain was bruised.

"Up…" she tried to coax herself, fruitlessly.

If she was at the Institute, she would have jumped out of bed regardless of how crappy she was feeling. It appeared that Forks was making her lazy.

With that in mind, she adjusted her position and sat up, brushing her frizzy hair from her face. Sometimes, she had the bad habit of sleeping with it down.

She rolled her head over to wince at the sunlight again and turned to swing her legs over the bed.

"Ibuprofen," she decided, "Fixes everything."

She blinked once, having yet to move. She really didn't want to get up. Chewing broken glass sounded more appealing.

"Oh, magic voice in my head," she said ominously, looking up at the ceiling, "To get up or not to get up? That is the question…"

She waited, rather patiently, she liked to add, for the voice to respond, but to no avail, she was left sitting in silence.

' _I have to get up_ ,' her thoughts weren't exactly the voice she requested, but she supposed it was good enough, ' _Unless I want Jasper to pick me up dirty and in my pajamas_.'

"He's already seen you looking like a total mess," she thought aloud, contradicting herself.

She shrugged, bobbing her head to the side, "Yeah, but you can't go to school like this, can you?"

"Ugh!" groaning again, she grabbed her cellphone off the bedside table and flipped it open, eyes roaming over the lit up numbers.

Her thumb hovered over the 4 and she looked up from the small screen, biting her lip. Her heart dropped. That's the only way she could describe the feeling. She was…embarrassed.

She never hesitated when wanting to speak to Rogue. They were two sides of the same coin. Rogue knew things about Meadow that know one else did and Meadow liked to think that she too knew things about Rogue that no one else did. How many times had they sat out by the gazebo by the cliffs, either sitting in silence doing their own things or talking?

Rogue had almost convinced Meadow to join the Brotherhood, once upon a time.

" **Perhaps the Brotherhood are even too goody-goody for you**. **You belong somewhere** _ **higher**_ **up**."

Meadow let the hand holding her cellphone, drop down to her lap. The screen and the numbers were dark, the device having gone to sleep.

Her insides were twisted and she was getting a headache. Those never led to good things. _She_ never led to good things…

" _Meadow_?" she whipped her head around when she heard Charlie's muffled voice come through the door. She glared as if she could see him through it, " _Meadow_ , _are you up_?"

"Yeah," she mumbled. She closed the phone and stashed it under her pillow, startling her pet, "I'm up."

" _What_?" the locked doorknob was jiggled, " _Meadow_?"

"I'm up!" she exclaimed loudly, "Jesus Christ."

" _Well_ , _if you want a ride to school_ , _you need to get ready_ ," Charlie said firmly, " _You're going to be late and Bella's ready to go_."

Meadow shook her head and glanced down at the cat, curled up on her bed, "Did I ask if Bella was ready?"

She rolled her eyes and got to her feet, picking up her bags of toiletries in one hand and her folded up clothes in the other. Charlie was still outside her door. His emotional signature was…close. She could feel his impatience.

"I don't need a ride to school!" she called to him, "I'm getting a ride from a friend!"

' _If you want to call some kind of dead-unhuman-creature-thing with no pulse bribing me with coffee a friend_ ,' she added silently.

" _Oh_!" Charlie sounded absolutely delighted and Meadow felt fuzzy inside, " _That's wonderful_! _Okay_ , _great_ , _I'll leave you b_ _e_ _then_ , _honey_!"

His footsteps faded and she heard him jog down the stairs. She was left, staring at the door a little stunned. No "Who is this friend?", "What's their name?", "Oh, is it a boy or a girl?", "Are their parents picking you up?"

She didn't even get a: "Be safe" or a "Be careful"…

Bella got a "Be safe" and a "Call me if you need anything" every time she went to the freaking bathroom by herself!

On the contrary, Meadow wasn't Bella and she tried to pride herself on that fact. Sure Bella was older, but everyone thought she was some sweet, naive, wonderful, innocent, doll-like angel child with wide brown eyes and a cute little pout. Add that with the talent of bursting into tears at the drop of the hat and she had everyone wrapped around her finger.

Something in the bedroom cracked and Meadow hurriedly inhaled and held the breath, then let it out slowly. She was still struggling with power flares and headaches. Headaches…headaches…

"Oh!" she gasped, remembering, "Ibuprofen, right," if she hadn't been holding things, the heel of her hand would have met her forehead.

Knowing very well that she shouldn't take ibuprofen on an empty stomach, when she reached the bathroom, she shook out three pills and placed them aside. She figured as long as she took them with some sort of calories, she'd be fine. So, she would pocket them and take them when Jasper brought her coffee.

"Jasper…" she snorted with a shake of her head. She pretended to gag as she climbed into the shower and yanked the curtain closed almost ripping it of its metal rings.

She didn't want to say that her heart was broken because it was never put together. But she was very hurt. She was an empath and would admit to lying and manipulating people everyday. Because of that, she couldn't exactly decide if she had the complete _right_ to be so hurt, but…but…

Let's just say, her lack of trust came from some serious issues that even the Professor doubted he could help her work through.

"I'm depressing as all sin," she declared to herself, running her comb through her hair.

Her shower was rushed and short. She toweled off quickly and threw on her clothes. Different denim skinny jeans, different solid colored long-sleeved top—this one was burnt sienna—same combat boots and same leather jacket. She basically wore the same outfit everyday since coming to Forks. It was practical and easy.

She plaited a three strand braid at the back of her head and twisted this way and that to make sure not a strand was out of place. Her hair was her favorite feature. It was thick and pretty and long. Even worn up in a braid everyday, people were envious of it and she would know.

She groaned at her reflection as she debated to blend some concealer under her eyes.

"Concealer or no?" she mumbled, "Yes? No? Yeeees…? No…? No."

She rinsed her hands of any hair product and pocketed the medicine before rushing to get her stuff from the bedroom. The only sound she could hear in the house were her footsteps. That meant that Charlie had left either when he had gone downstairs or while Meadow was in the shower.

"I gotta go to school, now," she told her cat, scratching her head, "So, be good," she smiled when the cat tilted her head back, "Yeah…good girl."

She pulled away and shouldered her backpack, snatching her cellphone under her pillow as she turned to leave. Once she was downstairs, she relaxed instantly, her shoulders slumping. She was all ready to go, which meant she needed to wait for Jasper to knock or honk or whatever he would do to let her know he arrived.

Her heart sped up at the thought. Soon, he had promised. Was today soon?

She bit her lip and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water or at least have some milk for breakfast. Spotting the clock on the microwave, she saw that it was 7:52AM. She really had gotten up late. School started at 8:15AM, passing period was at 8:10AM.

She put her sack lunch in her backpack and double checked that she had her Epi-pen. She took her sweet time pouring herself a glass of milk to pass the time. Forks Coffee Shop couldn't have been _that_ far. If there wasn't a tree somewhere, then in it was probably some kind of tiny building selling something.

With the milk settled in her stomach, she tossed the pills back and chugged the rest of the milk, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth to erase any traces. She went and placed the empty glass into the sink and sauntered out into the living room to sit on the arm of the couch.

She pulled out her cellphone again and checked the time. 7:57AM.

She left it open again. She had plenty of time to call Rogue or the Professor or Storm or Logan. She hadn't checked-in with anyone about the meeting with the Cullens…and they hadn't checked-in with with her either.

' _What if the Cullens had completely ambushed me and_ _were_ _holding me hostage or something_?' she thought, flicking her eyes up to the blank-screened television.

" **Maybe that's why they** _ **didn't**_ **check up on you**?" the voice suggested coyly, " **Being held hostage or ambushed** … **it gets rid of the problem** , **does it not**?"

"And I'm the problem," Meadow concluded, puffing out her cheeks, "Lovely."

She should have pulled out her CD player to get in some meditation, but she kept staring at her cellphone, pushing a random button every time it fell asleep.

If she called someone, she didn't know what she would say. Every time she called, it seemed like all she did was bitch and moan. It was always something with her. A power flare or a pity party.

" **They're sick of it** ," the voice spoke her own thoughts for her, " **They're sick of** _ **you**_."

She blinked and clicked her phone again. 8:05AM.

She bit her lip, tucking an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear to distract herself. She had been in the car with Jasper before and knew he drove incredibly fast. She had walked to Charlie's before and she was a fast walker. It had probably taken her ten minutes tops. So, with Jasper driving, it would take five minutes to get to school? Maybe less? Something like that. Either way, he had about five seconds to show up.

She clicked her phone on again. 8:06AM.

"…Yeah," she replied to the voice, "I'm sick of me too."

…

…

…

The sound of the car tires rolling over a pine cone caused the vehicle to lurch and Meadow sighed, counting the pineneedles on the floor mat.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Angela," she said quietly, "It was really nice of you."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Angela turned her head briefly to smile, "You called just in time. I'm seriously the _last_ person to get to school. I have to take my brothers in the morning."

Meadow put on more chapstick and didn't respond. She should have said "That's nice!" or "Aww, how old are your brothers?" or even "Wow, you take them _every_ morning?"

She should have said any of those things. Should, but didn't.

Jasper had never shown up. She felt like an idiot and had actually debated skipping school to save herself the embarrassment of walking, most likely running. Had it all been some big ploy to humiliate her? A weird warning of some sort? Was Jasper just a big jerk?

"So, what happened?" Angela asked, "Did you sleep in super late? Still not used to the time difference, huh?"

"No, no, I mean, yeah, I woke up late," Meadow said quickly. She yawned for emphasis, "And I take forever to get ready, so by the time I made it downstairs, Charlie had gone to work and Bella had gone off with her boyfriend."

"Edward?" Angela inquired stupidly and Meadow rolled her eyes, tempted to snap at her. No, the other freaky boy that Bella was dating.

"Yeah," she said in a tone that implied Angela should have known this, "He takes Bella to school. He practically lives at Charlie's house."

Angela frowned, flicking on her blinker. She was quiet for too long and she was feeling uncomfortable, "…Edward didn't take Bella to school."

Meadow turned to look at her, though Angela was focused on the road, "Wait, what?" she stated, stunned, "How do you know?"

"Anytime it's sunny out, all the Cullens go out backpacking,"Angela informed her matter-of-factually like she was reading some kind of important text, "Even the parents. They're super outdoorsy."

Meadow's head turned slowly in the other direction, her eyes blank as she focused on the green blurs of trees they passed. She nodded with her lips pursed.

It was awkward, so Meadow closed her eyes and fixed that.

"Hey, have you thought about soccer, yet!?" Angela asked, too enthusiastically. Meadow pulled it back a bit, "Come on, you'll be great and Cassie really likes you!"

In all honesty, Meadow hadn't given it one thought and in any other situation, she would have said that like the bitch she was, but Angela was _so_ nice. So genuinely warm, kind and soft-spoken that Meadow felt like if she said what she wanted, it would come off like she was trying to take advantage of Angela, which probably wouldn't have been hard, but Meadow knew what that was like. It didn't feel good.

She smiled softly, "So…the uniform will look really cute on me, right?"

* * *

It was a cold night, made colder by the chilled waves that crashed over the sand. Twilight had long ago faded to pitch darkness, a cold contrast to how it had been during the daytime.

The sky, usually lit by the slivered moon and sparkling stars, glowed orange, red and gold with the boldness and height of the magnificent bonfire that crackled and spat warm smoke that kissed the sky.

Sam's dark skin reflected the same colors as did everyone else surrounding the fire. Including the glorious woman that sat in his lap, huddled close to keep her back warm.

Emily Young turned slightly towards him, allowing him to see the reflection of the bonfire dance in her irises. The left side of her mouth that wasn't turned down into a permanent grimace, lifted up in a shy smile and she stuttered out a small giggle when he leaned forward to kiss her soft lips and nuzzle her nose.

He shifted when Emily did, both of them turning back to listen to Billy's deep and soulful words. Emily was shorter than Sam by a great deal, but he had a great view of the back of her head. He pressed his lips lightly there, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo from her glossy black hair that shone brilliantly.

He pulled back from letting his lips linger and breathed deeply, inhaling the smoke. He looked at Old Quil to make sure the man was faring all right. He was called Old Quil for a reason. The small old man sat among Billy and Harry Clearwater. The few Elders of the tribe that led the council.

On the dried out log, next to Sam, was his best friend and Beta of their two man pack, Jared Cameron. He also had a woman on his lap. His imprint, Kim Conweller.

This night, was the first time the imprints were hearing the legends straight in a council meeting and Emily was jotting down every word Billy drawled, though Emily had been raised with the stories and knew them by heart.

So did Sam. He had heard it all a million times before as he was officially part of the council and included in all their meetings. Still, he held the utmost respect for the Elders and tried his best to pay attention.

It wasn't until Billy's words started to come to a close, that Sam really perked up. Billy always closed the meeting by reciting how magic was absolutely real and lived in all of their blood. That a few sons in particular were blessed with the powerful honor of protecting the tribe and its people.

Sam knew how passionate the wheelchair-bound man was about the wolves. As a child and a teenager, Billy had always dreamed of becoming a savior to his tribe. It hadn't happened, which had ultimately been a good thing, but now, years later, the Cullens were back and it had been a dark time. All the Elders were trying to reteach the histories to their sons in hopes to prepare them for the inevitable.

Only Sam hadn't been prepared for the force of the blows his werewolf heritage would force upon him. Without a father, he-

"Aw, Em, you should take him home," Jared's voice obnoxiously eroded Sam's thoughts, "It's past Little Sammy's bedtime."

Sam recoiled and smacked away Jared's hand that playfully pinched his cheek.

"Knock it off," he growled to his pack brother, feeling Emily shake against him in laughter.

He noticed that the Elders had left, leaving him and the others to speak among themselves or enjoy the atmosphere. The blazing bonfire had simmered down to its embers, its low light only dusting each of their faces in a soft glow.

"You tired?" he murmured softly to Emily.

She twisted again to look at him and shook her head with a small hum, "Mm, no, I'd like to stay a little while longer if that's okay," she breathed deeply, inhaling the salty scent of the sea, "Just for a little bit. It's so peaceful."

' _Whatever you want_ ,' Sam promised silently, stroking her arm. He would give her the world if she so requested.

"Well, we're gonna head out," Jared said, nodding to the shy girl tucked under his muscular arm, "Kim has her curfew and we both have school tomorrow."

Sam nodded to the standing pair. Jared had phased at sixteen and was a sophomore, while he, himself was nineteen, having phased at the end of his senior school year.

"Thank you both for attending," he told them seriously. He smiled softly at Kim, who looked out of place, "Sleep well, tonight."

Kim returned the smile, averting her gaze from him. She was a very shy girl,"Thank you. Bye, Em—oh my gosh!" Sam frowned when she gasped, her small eyes widening as she shoved at Jared's broad shoulder, "Oh my—Jare, there's a girl! A girl, go get her!"

Kim's voice had risen to loud notes and Sam ushered Emily off his lap to jump to his feet. He squeezed her shoulder in comfort and went to stand by Jared who had lurched forward, looking both confused and ready to spring into action. He had the best eyesight in the pack, but waited for orders.

"What girl, Kim?" Emily had gone to stand by the younger Quiletute, "Where?"

"There!" Kim pointed, "I-I think it's a person…it looks like someone's walking…" her voice trailed off into uncertainty.

"Yeah, I got her!" Jared said urgently, looking to Sam for direction, "It's a girl. I've seen her…kind of. She's running."

' _From what_?' Sam wondered and sprung into a brisk jog, faster than a normal human.

Emily and Kim were running after them and Sam kept looking back to make sure his imprint was all right, but she looked just as determined as he did and Kim looked equally as worried.

"Meadow!" he called, only some feet away from her, "Meadow Swan!"

His deep voice could travel for miles and she came to an abrupt halt just as he and Jared reached her. He looked down at her with a frown, squinting at her through hardened eyes.

She looked strange. She was wearing black and white checkered pajama pants that were too long and a black shirt advertising some kind of band called _Drum Eight_. She wore boots that had come undone at the laces and even with the dark colors, Sam could see that her front was all wet.

"Hey!" she greeted him, sounding hysterical, "H-hey, hi…" she coughed to clear her throat, "H-hello."

Sam's eyebrows crumpled together, then raised, put off by her attempt at being casual. Her eyes were too wide, wildly out of control, sometimes looking right at him, but not really. They were glossy and he couldn't tell if those were tear tracks or just sea water on her face.

"Heeeey," he drawled out slowly, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Meadow nodded frantically, waving a hand and Sam could see bruises covering the inside of her arm. Soft wisps of her curly hair ruffled in the breeze, then fell limply, "Yeah," she blinked, "Um…"

"Oh, sweetheart," Emily breathed, reaching out, hands grasping at air, "Honey, look at you, you're soaked. Where are your parents?"

Before Meadow could respond, Emily had turned to Sam, laying a hand on his arm.

"Sam," she whispered to him and he tilted his head towards her, "Look at her eyes," he did. Her pupils were dilated, "And she's all bruised up. I think we need to take this girl to the hospital. Someone must have hurt her."

"Or some _thing_ ," Jared mumbled.

Sam nodded and studied the girl carefully, "Meadow, are you hurt? Where did the bruises come from?" he demanded.

"'Memeber when we chased off that guy selling meth?" Jared mumbled and Kim being so close, heard him perfectly.

"Did you take something?" she asked Meadow.

"No, I…" Meadow cut herself off again, looking around, "I snuck out to take a walk. I'm…heading home now."

"I took you home once, yeah?" Sam reminded her gently. He spoke to her as if speaking to a child, "Hon, it takes almost twenty, twenty-five minutes to get to your house from here and that's by car. Do you know how you got here?"

Meadow's creased brow and lowered eyes told him that she didn't. Which made no sense unless she was one hell of a sleepwalker.

"Sam, that doesn't matter," Emily scolded him, "Meadow, honey, I'm Emily. This is Kim," she pointed, then moved on to Jared, "And Jared. I think you're in shock and we need to take you to a hospital. Besides your arms, are you hurt anywhere else or bleeding?"

At the word 'hospital', Meadow's head had snapped up and she hastened to reassure them, "I-it's fine, no hospital, no! I-I fell a couple times, but it's okay. I-I'm—I should go, now!"

Meadow initially didn't come off as the kind of girl to trip over anything, no matter what obstacle was in her path, but in her haste to get away, she barely took two steps before she tripped either over her shoelaces or her too long pantlegs that were weighed down heavily by the water.

Jared's hands shot out and kept her from face planting, holding his hands up when she jerked out of his grip, "Easy girl, hey. It's fine, take a minute," he looked at Sam, "Man, she looks hella out of it. What do we do with her? Pale Face or not, she's on our turf. We can't have her keel over."

Sam nodded in agreement. Emily had been right with her earlier statement. Whatever had happened to Meadow, left her completely in some state of shock and Sam figured, either Chief Swan was asleep and not aware that his youngest was missing or he didn't care.

Sam's jaw clenched and he rolled his shoulders, having to close his eyes momentarily. He felt anxious and unnerved, terrified almost and a little paranoid.

Maybe it was due to the fact that he might have to take Meadow home again and he had already made an exception once, as a favor to Billy, when there had been two Cullens in the house. One was risky enough and he was aware that one of them occupied Chief Swan's house at night.

"…hospital, hmm?" Emily was still hopelessly trying to coax Meadow into getting medical care and Sam was relieved to see that Meadow had allowed Emily to rest a hand on her shaking shoulder.

He stepped forward, "Hospital or not we need to get you off the beach and somewhere dry, okay?" he had no idea how long she had been out here. She was shaking and covered in goosebumps, "You might get sick."

She still looked freaked, but had calmed some. Her heart had slowed as well as her breathing and while her eyes, were more alert, he worried what would happen when the rest of the adrenaline left her shivering body.

Emily continued to croon to Meadow, like a puppy that might run, "Come on. Let's get you out of here. You shouldn't be out by yourself. Is there anyone that we can call for you? Meadow?"

Sam blinked. Meadow was looking off to the side, eyes blank as she spaced out.

"Meadow?" Emily called again, louder.

"Mmm?" Meadow blinked, looking up at Emily's scarred face.

"You good?" Jared asked.

"Mmm," Meadow hummed again. She shook her head and blinked, "Yeah, fine. Um, there's no one to call," she looked down as if noticing her attire for the first time, "I-I don't have my phone."

"Yeah, okay," Emily nodded frantically, desperate to get Meadow off the beach, "That's fine, come on, let's get you to the car. It'll be warmer."

Sam stood aside, letting Kim and Emily drag Meadow off the beach with surprising strength. They kept their hold on her when she stumbled or tripped.

"Do you need me?" Jared asked, hanging back to walk beside him while keeping an eye on Meadow's retreating form.

Sam kicked a nearby rock, following it with his eyes, "No, you can take Kim home," he said and looked up, "I think Meadow's going to be all right."

"Yeah?" Jared inquired, "You don't think she was attacked?"

Sam shook his head and pulled out his car key from his pocket. He pressed the button with an unlocked lock on it, allowing Emily and Kim to help Meadow into the backseat of his car.

"I don't know. Maybe. Not by vampires, though. I don't smell any nearby, do you?" Sam glanced at Jared and saw him shake his head, "And I don't smell any on her. She's onto them, though. The Cullens."

"Is she?" Jared mused softly, "Interesting," he frowned, "What about the bruises? You think the Chief is smacking her around?"

"I don't know," Sam repeated honestly, "We'll see what happens when we take her back."

No more words were said between them and when Sam reached his car, he bid Jared and Kim another goodnight.

In the driver's seat, he felt a little cold without Emily beside him. Metaphorically, of course. Werewolves never got cold.

His sharp eyes darted to the smudged rear view mirror, "How're you doing, Meadow?" in the darkness of the car, he could still see her shivering. She was likely getting water and sand everywhere, but that was an easy cleanup.

"Fine," she said immediately.

Sam arched an eyebrow, "I really would feel better if I took you to a hospital," he wouldn't go in with her, but he could drop her off at the entrance of Forks General.

"No," her gaze locked on his, "I don't do doctors. Can you just drop me off at Charlie's, please?"

Sam nodded firmly. He felt terrible. Why had he ever tried to convince this poor girl to go to the hospital if she didn't like them? Clearly she was fine! She had probably just gone for a walk and lost her way in the dark. Him and Emily were worrying for nothing.

"Yeah, of course!" he promised her easily, "No problem!"

* * *

As the tall man paced, his cold and distant blue eyes flicked over to the odd and bald tattooed man laughing to himself in the corner, his red eyes gleaming with delight.

Erik Lehnsherr walked menacingly towards him, his eyes becoming narrowed slits and lips turning down into a fierce frown. This had never been part of the plan.

"And the point of this _was_?" he demanded in a growl, "For her to take a midnight swim!?"

The man, Vincent…Mesmero as he was known among the mutants, looked up at him, grinning with yellow teeth, the tattoos over his face standing out against his light brown skin.

" _Control_ ," he hissed like a snake, hands fluttering, fingers wiggling, "We have it. Her mind is no longer hers."

Erik huffed through his nose as he smirked, "Ah," he breathed, "But was it ever?"

He turned away and went back to his pacing, adjusting the helmet on his head. Meadow Elise Swan had always intrigued him. She was one of a kind. How could it be, that a girl with so much bitterness and trauma, be given the power to manipulate the base of all living creatures.

Emotions. Oh, the things humans did when it came to their emotions. The amount of mutants that relied too heavily on their emotions in order to even _access_ their powers was unbelievable. It was ridiculous.

If Meadow chose to do so, she could turn armies into sluggish zombies. She could overwhelm her victims with their deepest sentiments and lead them to perish. At her full potential, Erik knew that Meadow had the means to imitate powers around her via the emotion associated with those particular powers.

And that knocked Rogue right out of the ballpark. Meadow could knock everyone out of the ballpark. Instead, she was with Xavier, acting as his little peace keeper and keeping his students friendly with each other.

Emotions were everything and Meadow could be so much more.

But before Erik got too ahead of himself, there was something that he needed her for, and if she survived, _then_ they could talk about her promising future.

"She's starting to listen," Mesmero said, giggling madly, "And she's questioning her loyalty, the goodness in her heart. She's lonely, depressed…close to cracking. Oh, I love it!"

"Wonderful," Erik said in a lazy nonchalance, "And if Mystique is doing her job correctly for once in her life, then Meadow's powers should be growing stronger by the day."

He began to tap his foot and was still facing the other way, when Mesmero interjected, "Her thoughts over the last couple of days have been quite occupied," Mesmero tittered, "With…" he gasped for dramatic effect, "A boy."

"Mhm," Erik hummed, "No matter. As you said," he turned swiftly, "If what you said is correct, then we will have her soon, yes?"

The gold ring on Mesmero's finger shrunk a size and the mind bender startled, clutching his hand to his chest.

"Yes, yes!" he insisted shrilly, "And," he cleared his throat, "If she is—if the X-Men interfere and she doesn't come, er, _willingly_?"

Erik's eyebrows were practically in the air and he tilted his head to the side, widening his eyes to the point where he looked like a grown child. His lips twitched into a small smile.

"Well…then, we take her, of course."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm baaaaack! I'm sorry for lacking in updates these past few months, but I am out of my slump and plan to be around more often. Thanks to my Beta Reader Sabrina06 for being so patient. Feel free to review!**


	11. Chapter XI

_In the large and lavish kitchen, Logan sat on the couch near the bay window, a newspaper in one hand and a piping hot cup of black coffee in the other. One of his legs was propped up, his foot touching the inside of his right thigh._

 _He was hoping to get a few moments of peace and quiet before he began training. With the Institute's recent addition, it would eventually become more of a team instead of a duo. The Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters was coming along nicely._

 _Soft footsteps alerted him to someone approaching, the person's scent telling him exactly who it was. However, he didn't glance up until the person was standing right in front of him, fidgeting nervously._

 _His eyes flicked up for only a moment, then back down to the article he was reading. Meadow Swan was staring at him intently, a teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms._

 _Over the lip of his coffee cup, he asked,"Ain't you a little too old for dolls, kid?"_

 _Meadow blinked her large blue eyes and frowned, looking down at the bear, then back at him, "It's not a doll, it's a teddy bear!"_

 _Logan rolled his eyes, "Same difference."_

 _"Not really."_

 _He growled low in his chest. The kid had been here for less than a week and was already getting on his nerves with her attitude. After her little stunt when she had first arrived, he had wanted to give her X-Jet cleanup for two weeks, but apparently punishments like that wouldn't suffice. Meadow "was just a child" according to Xavier—a "new mutant who didn't know any better."_

 _Yeah, right. She was a pain in his ass._

 _"'Ro gave it to me," Meadow said defensively She winced, one of her hands going to press hard against her forehead. She whimpered._

 _"What's the matter?" Logan drawled, still annoyed, "Am I **reading** too loud for ya'?"_

 _It wasn't until he heard the hitch in her breath and saw the sweat on her forehead that he really became concerned. The coffee cup in his hand shattered, leaving only the handle. His front was splattered in hot coffee. Quickly, getting to his feet, he faced Meadow, dropping the handle and the soaked newspaper._

 _Her eyes were squeezed shut and her teeth were clenched together as her thin shoulders shook, a small vein pulsing in her forehead. She had dropped her teddy bear and had both hands fisted, pressing at her temples._

 _The large fruit bowl exploded into pieces, sending apples, oranges and bananas rolling all over the floor. The light above the counter shattered and the window behind him began to rattle in its frame._

 _Snikt!_

 _He cried out in surprise when his three adamantium claws ripped through his hairy knuckles, droplets of blood splattering onto the tiled kitchen floor._

 _So much grief and fear and pain and torment, it made Logan dizzy. His brain was going to explode and he was pretty sure his healing abilities wouldn't cover that._

 _He tried to suck in a breath and forced a step forward, prepared to intervene, when Meadow relaxed._

 _Instantly, the pressure in his chest was relieved and he doubled over to catch his breath. He was able to retract his claws, his skin healing over the wounds in a mere second._

 _Still hunched over with chest heaving, his glanced up at Meadow. Her own eyes were open to reveal un-shed tears as she stared at him. Her jaw had relaxed and she had lowered her hands that trembled fiercely at her sides._

 _Logan however, was no longer looking at her._

 _"Chuck," he greeted curtly, causing Meadow to jump and turn around._

 _"Hello, Logan," Xavier greeted, the furrow in his brow giving away his worry, "Has anyone been harmed?" he took inventory of the kitchen and Logan saw that the window had cracked but not shattered, "Meadow?"_

 _"N-no," Meadow said, visibly shaken. She looked between Logan and the Professor, "I-I'm sorry," she whimpered._

 _Logan snorted when Xavier smiled warmly at her as if she hadn't just destroyed his property, "That's quite all right, my dear," the bald man assured her,"Remember, you're here to learn control. It'll take a lot longer than just a few days to obtain that."_

 _"And longer than a few days to rein in that bad attitude of yours," Logan commented, gathering up the pieces of glass from his mug, "Good luck with that."_

 _"Logan…" Charles warned, "Meadow," he smiled again when he got her attention, "What were you doing down here? Shouldn't you be with Storm?"_

 _Meadow bent down to pick up her teddy bear and she hugged it tightly, looking guilty, "Yeah…" she bit her lip, "And I've been working with her, really I have…but…"_

 _Xavier nodded, encouraging her to continue._

 _Face flushed, Meadow turned back to face Logan, her powers now under control thanks to the Professor's help._

 _"Logan?" she squeaked._

 _Logan, who had been staring at one of the fallen oranges, looked down at her, quirking an eyebrow._

 _"I-I'm sorry," she scuffed her shoe on the floor, "I'm sorry I screamed…and kicked you…and tried to punch you…and bite you…"_

 _Logan went over to dump the glass in the trash, "Water under the bridge, kid," he peeked at the destroyed window, "Trust me, I've had worse."_

 _Meadow tilted her head to the side, her eyes going to the hairy knuckles on his hand. She scrutinized the skin, then the blood on the floor, Jean and Scott having told her in one of their phone calls what was concealed beneath the flesh._

 _"Does it hurt?" she asked softly._

 _Logan, who had been pouring himself another cup of coffee, stopped mid-pour. He seemed to wilt a little as he replaced the coffeepot. He made full eye-contact with Meadow and sighed heavily, returning to the spot he had been occupying._

 _"Every time."_

 _He expected her to burst into tears that would shatter every glass object in the kitchen like the sensitive little runt she apparently was. He looked at her as she stared, her head still cocked to the side. If she didn't move soon, her neck was going to hurt and he wasn't in the mood to hear her complain about it._

 _"I'm sorry," she said to him, straightening her head to look him in the eye, "You don't deserve that."_

 _He held her gaze for the longest of seconds and took a drink of his coffee for half of them._

 _"S'all right, kid," he went and reclaimed his seat at the window, "S'no big deal. Now…quit pestering me."_

 _"Meadow, dear, why don't you go back to Storm?" Xavier suggested gently, "Jean and Scott are due to return soon," he smiled sadly when she groaned, "Go on now and rest. I'll bring up your lunch."_

 _Logan rolled with eyes when Meadow stormed off in a loud huff, "You got yer work cut out for you don't ya' Chuck?"_

 _"Logan," Charles started, "I must caution you—you have to be gentle with her," he warned in a grave tone, "She's fragile."_

 _Logan wasn't convinced, "So is the majority of the stuff in this mansion," he argued, "We're running low on mugs and light bulbs," he gestured to the glass, "…And expensive antique vases. Windows…"_

 _"This is no joking matter, my friend," Charles maneuvered his chair closer to Logan, "Please," Logan looked away from the newspaper he was trying to salvage, to give Charles his full attention._

 _He sighed and swung his legs over so that he sat upright, like one of Chuck's students, "How fragile are we talkin'?"_

 _Charles sighed and brought his folded hands up to his chin, "It's hard to say. She won't open up, but she gave me a brief glimpse into her mind—exceedingly troubled," he frowned, looking lost in thought, "Her emotional issues run very deep. Deep to the point where…I don't know if I'll be able to help. At least, not fully."_

 _Logan's eyes widened, stunned into a long silence. That was the whole point of the Institute…to help. Logan, feral and wild as he used to be, believed that he would never ever be helped. But here he was._

 _"If you can work through all the loads of messed up crap in my head, then you can work through hers," he insisted, nodding towards where Meadow exited, "'Ro said she didn't go to school and stayed home all day. She wasn't hit or nothin'. What else could have happened to the kid?"_

 _Grave and disturbed brown eyes flicked up to meet his and Logan wilted under that gaze, licking his lips and scrubbing a hand through his unruly hair._

Present Time:

Logan took a hard pull from his beer, his other hairy arm extended out in front of him as he pressed a button on his cellphone and put it to his ear.

" _We're sorry the person you are tryi_ -

He growled menacingly at the automated message and snapped the phone shut to clench it in his fist. When he uncurled his fingers, the phone dropped to the ground in a mass of dust and cracked plastic.

That was the tenth time he had heard that throughout the day and it was only mid-morning.

The ruined phone crunched under his boot as he stalked off towards the girls' dorm, pounding harshly on the door that was blaring nauseating bubblegum pop music.

No answer.

He knocked louder, so hard that a small crack appeared in the wood and immediately, the music shut off.

" _Like_ , _yeah_!?"

He opened the door and stepped into the room, cracking the door. He tried to appear casual, leaning against the sliver of wall near the door, but that never worked for him. He was pissed and it was obvious.

Both Kitty and Rogue were sitting on their beds, Rogue with her headphones in as she studied. No wonder she hadn't killed Kitty for playing her music.

"Hey!" he reached forward and yanked the headphones out of her ears, "You tryna go deaf, Stripes?"

"Hey!" Rogue shouted back at him, "What's the big Ahdea?"

"Like, what's wrong, Mr. Logan?" Kitty asked meekly. She bit the corner of her lip, anxious.

His eyes switched between the two and he quirked an eyebrow, "Either of you two hear from Doe, lately?"

The silence that settled and the look that Rogue and Kitty exchanged told him all he needed to know.

"Spit it out," he demanded, "I ain't got all day."

"Well, like, _technically_ , Jean was the last one to talk to her," Kitty said, "She sent her a text about, like, the mutant recruitment or whatever and before that, I had talked to her on the phone."

"'Bout what?" Logan asked, bored with her answer.

Kitty shrugged, "Stuff. She said she was, like, gonna play soccer and that one of the mutants…Jasmine or something-

"Jaspah," Rogue corrected.

"Was an Empath like her," Kitty continued. She rolled her eyes playfully, "And, you know, in my opinion, she totally has the hots for this guy. I mean, like-" she suddenly stopped her valley girl rambles and Logan sent up a prayer of thanks, but not before he saw the look she and Rogue exchanged.

"She said she was going to tell me everything that happened between them and she didn't, the brat," Logan knew Kitty didn't mean that when she sighed sadly, "Like, she hasn't called me at all!" her hands slapped the bed and she scowled at him, "Can you believe that!?"

Logan didn't know what to say to that. Hell, he didn't even know what to make of Half Pint's statement. He knew all about the meeting with the mutants that with a quick check of Cerebro, turned out not to be mutants.

But he wasn't worried about that, right now.

His eyes slid over to Rogue who was staring at a page in her math textbook. He could practically smell the anxiety coming off of her.

"Somethin' you want to say, Stripes?" he asked gruffly.

Rogue's head whipped around to face him, her eyes wide as if she was surprised to see him there. After a moment, she shook her head wordlessly.

"K," he shrugged his shoulder, "Cliff training grounds in half an hour," he left the room after that and shut the door.

The music didn't start up again.

' _Chuck_ ,' he thought, hoping the man could hear him, ' _We need to have a little chat about this…_ _ **Forks**_ _nonsense_.'

* * *

Jasper knocked firmly on the door, alerting Meadow to his presence.

He knew that she was home alone. Charlie was working and Alice and Edward had whisked Bella off to their house for the afternoon.

Including the day he hadn't picked up Meadow for school, he hadn't seen her in two days.

It was nearing spring time and living in Washington, as rainy as it was, it still meant the increased possibility of sunny days. Though it was back to being overcast, it had been sunny these past two days and his entire family had gone off on a hunting trip, leaving their eyes the brightest of golds.

He felt terrible about blowing her off and wondered if explaining his absence might be the perfect time to tell Meadow what he was.

He knocked again. In his other hand, he clutched Meadow's coffee order, but had ordered a venti instead. Maybe the more caffeine she had, the less likely she would be to try and kill him.

He could hear the sound of her combat boots thumping down the stairs and the door was thrown open.

"What!? Oh!"

They had gasped at the same time, Jasper louder than her.

Her eyes, so breathtakingly blue—almost sickeningly blue, like all the myriad shades of blue have come together only to make up Meadow's eye color and made Jasper feel like he was being pulled to her because they were the most expressive eyes—it wasn't there anymore.

She was all bleary-eyed, slumped shoulders and heavy-set bags under her eyes that were bloodshot. She looked like a walking zombie that had been crying.

At least her hair was braided. That hadn't changed.

"Meadow?" he couldn't feel any emotions from her, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, um," she rasped, "I'm fine," she looked behind her, then back at him, "Did you need something?"

He held the coffee out, "I came to apologize," he said dumbly, "For not picking you up."

For a moment, she frowned as if she didn't know what he was talking about and then she gasped a little, nodding.

"Oh, yeah, yeah," she mumbled. She didn't take the coffee from him, "It's fine."

Jasper's mouth fell open, "It's _fine_?" he spluttered, "I failed to pick you up and _you're_ telling _me_ …that it's fine?"

She nodded again, "Yeah," her eyes darted to the side and focused on the doorway.

An awkward silence settled between them and Jasper took this silence to look her up and down. She wore jeans that were frayed in spots, same combat boots she always wore and a long-sleeved green shirt.

His eyes narrowed. Her left arm that still clutched the doorway—her sleeve ever so slightly had ridden up and he could see a purple mark.

"Are you hurt?" he was taken aback, reaching for her.

Immediately, she pulled her hand away.

"Fine," she said, "I'm fine. Did you need anything else?" she asked impatiently.

"Yeah," he said, shifting his weight, "I need to know if you're okay!"

Meadow frowned, truly confused, though Jasper still couldn't feel anything from her and he watched, a little irritated as her eyes darted back and forth. He wished she would stop doing that.

"I _just_ said I'm fine," she shrugged a little, "Like, ten times," her voice shook from annoyance.

He blinked at her and looked down at the coffee cup. He extended it closer to her. With the temperature of his marble-like body, it was already cold.

He said so, "I brought you coffee. It's going to get cold. Caramel latte with a pump of vanilla, right?" he smiled uneasily.

Honestly, he had hoped that she would yell at him for not picking her up. If she had, it would have given him great leverage to tell her that he was a vampire, instead of blurting it out or finding another opportunity to tell her.

This behavior from her disturbed him.

"You remembered," she took the coffee from him and he noticed that her hand was shaking, "Thank you."

He wanted to take the coffee back from her, she looked out of it. She was shaking so much, that a few drops of coffee sloshed out of the top and onto the black plastic lid.

"Darlin'," he drawled in his lazy Southern twang, "You sure you're all right? Did somethin' happen?"

Her guard slipped, only slightly, but it was long enough for Jasper to know that she was feeling paranoid, terrified and completely fatigued.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I forgot. Not only are you a doctor, but now you're a private investigator."

"Says the girl constantly asking me questions and trying to figure out whether I'm human or not," he retorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. He flicked his eyebrows up, "Wanna try again?"

' _Try again_ ,' he thought, ' _Please_.'

"Jasper, I-" she shook her head and looked away, "I can't," she handed the coffee back to him and he took it, "I have to go."

The last three words were a whisper and he stood there, staring as the door was shut and locked in his face.

He heard her sluggish footsteps climbing the stairs and the sound of her bedroom door being closed and locked.

He knew he couldn't be discovered standing outside Meadow's house. With the rumors swirling the town about her behavioral issues, the boarding school she was "sent away" to and her "criminal record", it would probably look bad if the neighbors caught him and he knew that Katie Marshall, who attended Forks High lived somewhere around here.

" _I don't know_ …"

Jasper frowned, tilting his head back to look at the roof when he heard Meadow's voice, solemn. He noticed that the sky was gray and cloudy. It was going to rain soon.

" _Please don't_ ," her voice cracked, on the verge of tears, " _I know_ , _but I can't take it_."

Who was she talking to? She wasn't on the phone and there was no one else in the house.

His head dropped down to stare at the coffee in his hand. It was probably ice by now. He wasn't going to drink it and apparently, neither was Meadow.

She had looked so terrible. He thought of knocking again but worried he'd come off as a stalker. Besides, he had no idea when Charlie was due home and Jasper doubted, like the nosy neighbors, that he would appreciate seeing him at his front door.

Or maybe because it was Meadow, he wouldn't care.

But Jasper cared and at least that was something and he knew, that she had people in New York that cared just as much as he did.

Maybe he needed to try and get in contact with them, but what was he supposed to say? He didn't think she would appreciate him reaching out to her New York family.

Mate or not, what business did he have crossing such a line? He knew Meadow well enough, to know that would make her absolutely furious.

With nothing left to do, Jasper turned around and went back to his motorcycle.

* * *

' _How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dr_ -

"Hey. How'd you get all the way up there?"

Meadow kept her gaze firmly on her book as Emmett's deep voice interrupted the little peace that she had left. The voice in her head was quiet and she had taken solace up in a tree away from the house.

She couldn't be at Charlie's house for long periods of time anymore. Lately, it had become too much for her powers. Especially when Bella was home with Edward. Their deep and disturbing obsession with each other quite literally almost made her sick and she thought she would faint with how bad her migraines had been.

There were a lot of things in the bedroom that were going to need replacing, and luckily she had been able to hide the crack in the window by keeping the curtains drawn.

"I know you can hear me," Emmett spoke again and Meadow noisily turned a page.

Emmett, the burly moose that he was, was a rather okay person to be around. To Meadow's knowledge, his emotions were positive. All the time. Rather he was feeling joyful, confident, delighted, gleeful or just plain excited—going deeper and peeling away the layers, overall revealed pure happiness.

She envied that about him, but she would never say that aloud.

"What. Do. You. Want?" she didn't look up from her book, "Am I reading too loud for you?" she smirked to herself. Logan would be proud.

Emmett laughed and Meadow dropped her book, startled by the birds that cawed and flew from the trees. Such a noise that came deep from within Emmett's broad chest, should have been labeled as a public nuisance.

"Look what you did!" she snapped, dutifully eyeing her book on the damp ground, "That's not mine, you know!"

She scowled when Emmett bent down to pick up her book with the paw that he called a hand. He studied the title for a long moment and she wondered how dumb he was. Did it take that long for him to read the title? It was one word.

She decided to lend him a hand, "That says _Dracula_ ," she pointed at it, "One word, three syllables."

He lifted his head to grin at her, showing her a set of perfect teeth.

"Thanks," he said, "I really needed help with that one," he looked down at the book and hit it against his other hand, "A classic."

"Okay?" Meadow said, "That's great, can I have it back now?" she held her hand out.

He looked around, then back up at her, "You want me to climb all the way up there?"

Meadow laced her fingers behind her head and leaned back against the thick trunk, crossing her legs on the thick and sturdy branch she sat on. She could probably fall asleep. She was dead exhausted. Her sleeps were getting more and more fretful because, well, she didn't sleep. She couldn't.

Not after what had occurred at First Beach.

The other night, she had gone to bed after meditation and then she was at First Beach. That was it. She had no idea how she had gotten there, why she was there, who had possibly brought her there…or what had been done to her in her zoned out state.

Just the thought caused her to break into a cold sweat.

It was a blank, nothingness. She had just…been there. Waves crashing and soaking her to the bone, sea brine assaulting her nostrils, coldness numbing her and darkness startling her.

She had completely panicked when she took in her surroundings and started running. Thank God for Sam Uley and his friends.

" _If you run into anymore trouble_ ," he had said, slipping her a napkin with his number sloppily written on it, " _Call me_."

She had taken his number and easily manipulated both him and Emily, who she assumed to be his girlfriend, into peacefully leaving her be. The whole way, Emily hadn't stopped griping about getting Meadow to the hospital.

She thanked Sam profusely and went to Charlie's front door, finding it unlocked. She had hurried to her room and collapsed into her bed, forcing herself to hold back her sobs. She knew that a certain annoying non-person was listening.

She had tried to meditate through it, but kept getting distracted by her thoughts and memories that she had convinced herself she suppressed years ago.

Pained gnawed at her head and she shook it. She didn't want to think about that and managed a sharp comeback to Emmett's earlier statement.

"I think you'll manage. Steroids can do that to a person."

Another laugh shook the forest. More birds flew off. Animals were probably running away thinking there was an earthquake.

"Nah," Emmett drawled, "I think you should come down here. You are, after all, the one who dropped it."

What was with these Cullens? They were _so_ annoying.

"Are you guys stalking me?" she asked him as she sat up and balanced herself, "I told Jasper to leave me alone."

She had hoped Emmett would waiver under her icy glare, but he looked unfazed. If anything, he looked entertained.

"Jazz is worried about you," he told her, "He said you looked sick and he wasn't lying. You look like shit, you know that?"

Yes, Meadow knew that, she felt like it too. She did, after all, have to look in the mirror everyday. She had started to wear concealer, but the makeup didn't help when it damn near down poured every day.

"Well, he doesn't need to worry about me," she retorted, "I'm a big girl and he's not my keeper."

"Maybe you need a doctor?"

"Maybe I need some time alone."

"Well, how damn depressing it that? You're always alone."

She leveled a heavy glare at him. She wasn't always alone. After turning in the safety form, she would officially be apart of the competing soccer team at Forks High. She definitely wouldn't be alone after that, but with her migraines coming back, she was a little worried about it.

"Anyway," she said, getting back to the conversation, "Whether I'm alone or not, isn't any of your business, is it?" she turned herself so that she was sitting sideways, "I guess I'll come get my book."

"Hey, wait, don-

Emmett's warning was interrupted by the sound of her feel hitting the ground as she landed in a crouch. She wavered a bit as she straightened up, but other that it had been perfect.

' _Still got it_ ,' she congratulated herself.

She walked smoothly over to Emmett and held her hand out, "Book, please," she smiled sweetly as he stood there, Gaping like a fish, he slowly extended his arm out to place it in her hand. She snatched it from him, "Thank you."

She stood there, allowing Emmett to stare at her with his bright gold eyes. The barest hint of concern laced his ever flowing happiness and she shifted her weight to her other foot.

She was starting to get a headache and she was dizzy from being so tired. She hated having to keep up this facade. It had been well over twenty-four hours since she had last slept. She needed more coffee and ibuprofen for her headache.

"Anyway," she said. Had she already said that? "I'm gonna go now. Thanks for bothering me," she turned to leave, tripping over a pine cone as she walked off.

Emmett didn't get the hint and was quick to fall in step beside her. She felt like someone had injected lead into her veins. Is this what Logan felt like?

"You need to go home," she said. She sounded tired, "You and your family need to stop following me around, showing up at the front door or when I walk to class. It's creepy and just because your precious little Bella gets off on it, doesn't mean I do."

"Ok-

" _And_ ," Meadow interrupted, "Aren't you a senior? So, you're eighteen, then? A grown man following a sixteen-year-old girl to her home? I bet that's going to look great."

"You crack me up," he stated, though his voice was void of any laughter, "I can see why my bro's so smitten with you."

"Ew."

"Whatever," she didn't need to look at Emmett to know that he had rolled his eyes, "You like him."

"Okay," she drawled sarcastically, "Whatever helps you not sleep at night," she dug her house key out of her pocket. They were nearing Charlie's house.

"It's obvious, though, isn't it?" Emmett asked, truly curious, "You two are so alike, you bicker like an old married couple. It's crazy. Just say it, I bet you'll feel better. You're in love with Jasper."

Meadow licked the front of her teeth, sticking her key harshly into the lock. She waited until she had the door open before she turned to look up at Emmett.

" _You're_ in love with Jasper!"

"Wow," Emmett nodded slowly, "I forgot that we're twelve years old. Seriously, good one, Meadow," he grinned at her again and she wanted to slap it off his face. Maybe she'd settle for making him cry.

" **He's getting too comfortable** ," the voice warned, " **Don't let him get too close**. **You're dangerous**."

"You really don't want to test me," Meadow whispered, "I should only have to tell you that _once_. I don't think your annoying, prissy, stuck-up little girlfriend-

"Hey," Emmett growled, causing her to back up when he took a threatening step forward, "You can't talk abou-

"Oh, but I can," Meadow insisted, "You see, there are a lot of things I can do…a lot of them you won't like, so I suggest," she nodded towards the driveway, "That you go. I have quite the temper and people have ended up getting hurt—those 'people' don't include me."

" **Good** ," the voice praised, " **Good girl**."

Emmett was pissed. All of his joy purged from his emotional signature and it was making Meadow's headache worse. Negative emotions were so draining and she stayed where she was. If she turned and took one step, then she would pass out.

"Maybe," she said, falsely concerned, "I should call Sam," she cocked her head to the side and shrugged one shoulder. Emmett's jaw was clenched so hard, his face should have broke, "He's such a sweetie, don't you think?"

Hopefully, that would scare him off. She was being careful not to project, but she was terrified. Emmett was humongous. There was no one home and he could easily force himself inside the house…

She had to close her eyes for just a moment to gather herself. She took a deep breath. She needed to go inside. As soon as the door closed, she would be fine. Alone.

"Leave or I'll scream bloody murder, I swear," she didn't look at Emmett as she turned and went inside, shutting the door behind her.

She stayed against it, her hand bending at an awkward angle to fumble with the lock. When she was finished she slid down the door, reaching for her cellphone and ignoring all the missed calls to dial 911, her thumb hovering over the green phone button.

She waited, holding her breath.

She heard Emmett's feet fading and then the sound of crunching gravel. It wasn't until she heard the sound of his expensive car start that she relaxed and let her hand fall down into her lap, her phone going to sleep. She shut it closed and dropped it on her lap.

Her head hit the back of the door with a light _thunk_. Her eyes drifted over the to the entrance to the kitchen, then to the stairs. No one else in the family drank coffee, so there was no pot already made or stored in the fridge. She had to be sneaky about her caffeine consumption. She was "too young" to be drinking coffee at her age.

" **You did good** ," the voice complimented her again, proud, " **If you have to be any clearer about wanting to be left alone** , **I think you know what will have to be done**."

"Yeah…" Meadow mused. She blinked furiously, frowning, "Wait, no! No, I can't do that! The Professor-

" _ **Doesn't**_ **care about you** ," the voice pressed, " **Precious Empath** , **haven't we been over this**? **He** _**uses**_ **you** … **for his own needs**."

"Doesn't everyone use everyone for their own needs?" she asked, "You're using me, aren't you?"

" **Ah** , **but I haven't asked for anything** , **have I**?" the voice sounded smug, " **Everything I've told you to do has helped you** , **has it not**?"

"I don't want to talk anymore," Meadow decided in a whisper. She needed to get up.

Something warm splashed on the back of her hand and she jumped at the feeling, looking down.

"Oh my God!" she cried, startled at the drop of blood on her hand, "What…!?"

She reached up and touch her nose, feeling the slick blood on her fingers. She got up quickly as she clamped her hand over her mouth and nose, her cellphone falling to the ground. The battery popped out with its landing.

She stumbled her way to the kitchen sink, blood already seeping through her fingers and running down her hand. She couldn't hold her breath any longer and choked, removing her hand as blood splattered onto the floor, counter, and sink in various size droplets.

She reached out with her hand that wasn't covered in blood and yanked on the faucet, using her other hand to fumble with the paper towel roll.

She spit blood into the sink and pinched her nose shut with the paper towels, her chest heaving as she breathed through her mouth. She was surprised she hadn't fainted with how fast she had stood up, but maybe it was the adrenaline. That had been coming in handy lately.

Somewhat relaxed with her nose plugged shut, she switched hands and stuck her blood covered one into the water. The blood had already dried in between her fingers and under her nails and it was hard to wash off.

' _The last time I had a bloody nose_?' she grabbed more paper towels, unable to remember. It had been so long.

She went and reached into the cabinets under the sink, pulling out a bottle of 409 to clean up the blood with. She also grabbed a plastic grocery bag and placed it on the counter.

She sprayed the 409 and wiped the blood away from the surfaces. Even one handed, it was an easier clean up than she thought it would be and once that was taken care of, she dropped the paper towels onto the floor and pushed them into a pile with her foot.

Hesitantly, she pulled away the bunch at her nose. All she could smell was cleaning supplies and blood.

The paper towels were wrinkled with blood and Meadow touched her upper lip, her fingers lightly brushed the inside of her nostril. She pulled back to look at it. No blood.

Her nose felt both clear and stuffy, but she didn't dare sniffle too hard for fear of getting another nosebleed.

Well, that had been eventful.

She took the plastic bag and stuffed in all the paper towels she had used. She tied off the bag and put the cleaner back, heading back to the front door where she had dropped her phone.

She picked that up and stopped abruptly.

"Shoot," she breathed, turning her head back towards the kitchen, "Coffee."

"Meow."

"Oh," she startled when the still unnamed cat rubbed herself against Meadow's legs, "Hey, I forgot about you. What's up?"

The cat, of course, didn't answer back and Meadow sighed, turning her attention back to her midlife crisis. She needed coffee, but she didn't want coffee. She didn't know what she wanted. Nothing in the kitchen appealed to her vanished appetite.

Instead, she took a deep breath and trudged upstairs to the bathroom. She avoided looking in the mirror and washed her face of any bloodstains that might be on it. She patted it dry with the towel she had used that morning, then shut off the light and went to the bedroom.

She rolled her eyes, waiting impatiently for the cat to come in and make herself at home. The cat didn't have a litterbox or even proper food, but it seemed to be doing all right. Healthy and whatnot.

Pushing that to the back of her mind, Meadow shoved the plastic bag under her bed and went to sit at the computer on her desk. She made a sound of distaste when she switched it on. The sides of her fingers were still sticky with a thin layer of dried blood.

Charlie's modem was extremely outdated compared to the Institute. It was a free service substandard that took so long to dial-up that Meadow felt herself aging.

The entire screen was covered in pop-up ads and she sighed heavily as she began to click them all away. Eventually, she made it to the search engine where she had to shut down a few more pop-up ads.

 _How To Stay Awake_

It took an infuriatingly long time to load the search results and Meadow sighed, leaning her elbow on the desk and tilting her head to rest on her hand.

When it finally loaded, another thought struck her and she was annoyed with herself as she moved the cursor, so that she could change her search topic.

 _How Do Med Students Stay Awake_

Jean was a complete term junky and always talked about wanting to become a doctor. She was taking all honors classes, sports—soccer, floor hockey and basketball—and clubs and she never seemed tired when she pulled all-nighters.

Sure, Meadow could just ask, but she knew Jeannie and knew the redhead's answer would be something like: "Just have a go-getter attitude and believe in rainbows!" or some sunshine crap like that.

"Well, look at that," Meadow mumbled when the page finally loaded.

There was an actual forum dedicated to med students asking for tips on how to stay awake. One forum title inquired about staying away for thirty-six hours straight.

Perfect.

She opened up some links in different tabs and went to the first window, shooting down more little windows.

Shock coursed through her when she read the first answer—the one written by a long-term member and had the most votes for top answer.

Adderall. This anonymous person boasted about how great it was and how easy it was to obtain. This person ended their answer with two words: 'Highly recommended'.

She stared at the computer screen as if had come to life and talked to her. It wasn't what she had read, no, it was the fact that in the back of her brain, she was actually considering it.

If anyone walked in, they would compare her to those rubber pop-eye toys that you bought at party stores.

She was shocked. _Consideration_ didn't mean _dedication_. She didn't have a prescription and while she could easily go through the process of getting one due to her powers, she was a minor which meant Charlie would be informed and his insurance billed.

She shook her head of the thought and went back to her reading. The rest of the answers on this particular forum either praised the drug, recommended copious amounts of coffee, coffee injections or were stupid answers like exercise, small naps and sternum rubs.

Espresso, exercise, naps, espresso, exercise, naps, espresso, exercise, naps. That's what all the web pages said if they weren't advocating for adderall or another type of drug.

As she cleared her history and shut down the computer, a lingering haze of sleep sat somewhere in the back of her mind.

"Well," she concluded, standing up from her chair, "That was a waste of my time."

She went and sat on the bed, dropping her forehead into her hand. She hunched over and whimpered.

She felt like she was going to throw up and the thought of forcing herself to consume more coffee on her empty and knotted stomach, made the feeling worse.

"God, I can't breathe," she stood up, chest falling rapidly in forced breath.

She stumbled over to the window and pushed it open with sweat slicked hands, leaning over right when she heaved.

Ashen faced, she clung to the windowsill. The bitter taste of vomit was made worse by the bitter taste of coffee. With each lurch of her stomach another small mouthful of bile and coffee dribbled from her lips and onto the ground below.

Her stomach kept dry-heaving, until nothing else could be physically removed from her body. She felt hot, but a cold sweat glistened on her brow.

She sagged against the window, feeling weak and her throat felt sore from the stomach acid that was burning it and her mouth tasted of vomit. Her eyes, watery from the heaving, spilled onto her cheeks. She was not crying.

Weird memory loss, migraines, power flares, a nosebleed and now she was throwing up over the side of Charlie's house.

There was no one to rub her back, assure her that everything would be okay, get her to bed or fetch her a cold glass of water or a hot mug of tea and saltine crackers.

It was only her in this wasteland of a pathetic excuse of a town.

" **Good**. **You should be alone**."

"I am."

And in all honesty, she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle it.

"I just wanna go home," she bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

She fell away from the window and onto the floor. Had she put all her effort in? Was this all she could take when it came to being in Forks?

" **You're** _ **that**_ **weak minded**?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, "I guess I didn't realize how much of myself I put into the Institute, the people, Professor Xavier, even Bayville High. It was my salvation."

" _ **Was**_."

"Was," she agreed, "And now I don't have it and I feel so lost…I'm scared and I'm sick and I feel like…like, I don't belong anywhere. Maybe I should become a drifter."

" **I told you where you belong** ," the voice reminded, " **Somewhere** _ **higher**_ **up**."

"Even that doesn't sound appealing."

" **What does**?"

She shrugged weakly. She was _so_ tired and _so_ thirsty and felt _so_ unwell.

 _"I can see why my bro's so smitten with you."_

Jasper was smitten with her? That was kind of appealing.

" **Do you honestly think** , **that when he finds out the truth about you** — **the** _ **whole**_ **truth** — **he'll want anything to do with the likes of you**? **After what you've done**?"

She shook her head, "But I didn't _do_ anything," she choked out.

" **Mhm** ," the voice hummed, unconvinced, " **And that's gone over well before**? **You can't even recall what happened at the beach**."

"Stop," she brought a hand to her forehead, "Please, stop. I can't, I really can't," she shook her head back and forth.

She felt sick again and got up to lean out the window.


	12. Chapter XII

"Hey, Cass!"

Cassie had been taking off her shirt, ready to place it in her locker after soccer practice, when she heard Jessica's voice.

She turned her head, smiling warmly at Jessica, "Hey! Nice job at practice!"

Jessica tugged her hair tie, letting loose her crazy curls, "Thanks…" she rolled her eyes.

Cassie side-eyed Jessica, resisting the urge to roll her own hazel eyes. The loud-mouthed valley girl and Lauren's second-in-command was so predictable. She would pout, stomp, heavy sigh, roll her eyes and moan, baiting someone to worry about her and ask what was wrong.

"Something on your mind?"

Jessica smacked her lips together, "So, like, _apparently_ , Angie convinced _Meadow Swan_ ," she spat the name, shuddering, "to join the soccer team."

Cassie knew this routine, "Oh my gosh, no way!" she yanked off her muddy cleats, "She doesn't even have to try out!?" she flipped her hair for good measure.

"No!" Jessica raged, slamming her gym locker shut, "As soon as she turns in her safety form and pays the fees, that's it!"

"Hmm," Cassie pulled on her jeans, "Isn't it worth it, though? Whether she sucks or not, at least we get to compete."

"I guess," Jessica snorted, "I just, like…I'm a _good_ person, you know?" she placed a hand over her heart and Cassie nodded, "I have to work for everything and it's _really_ hard," she whined, "And for this-this _jailbird_ to come in and have everything handed to her—and she's such a bitch! No wonder she has no friends."

Cassie shrugged, "Bitch or not, the Cullens seem to like her."

She might as well have told Jessica that Meadow murdered her entire family before burning her house down and writing 'F you!' in the ashes after killing her puppy and kissing her boyfriend; because that would have been a lot easier than saying that the Cullens had taken an interest in yet _another_ Swan girl.

"They _don't_ like her!" T o Cassie, it seemed that Jessica was trying to convince herself, "They don't, okay? They _put up_ with her because I bet Bella cries and threatens to kill herself if they don't."

"Mmm," Cassie nodded to herself, "Yeah, okay, probably. Bella seems like the type."

Jessica smirked at that, satisfied, "Yeah, thank you!" her cellphone beeped, "Lauren's waiting. Do you need a ride?"

"No thanks," Cassie smiled and held up one of her cleats, "I have to clean these off. I can't leave them like this."

"Ew, gross!" Jessica made a face, but her cleats were in no better shape, "Yeah, you do that…I'll see you, tomorrow," she waved and Jessica left, her hips swishing with every step.

Cassie heard the door to the locker room door swing shut and with Jessica gone, her eyes went to the back of her head with how hard she rolled them.

When they settled back, the bright hazel was stoic and cold, far from the youthful kindness that usually lit them up.

She threw her cleats into the opened locker, not giving it a spare glance as she stalked along the rows of lockers, looking in and under stalls and peering into the coaches' office. She was gone. They were all gone.

Perfect.

Confident that she was alone, she went back to her assigned gym locker and pulled out a sleek silver cellphone, pressing the '1' to activate speed dial.

As the cellphone rang, Cassie walked through the locker room, stopping when she came to the two dirty sinks below the cracked and spotted mirrors. She glared at her reflection.

" _I thought_ ," the line clicked, " _That you were instructed to keep this line open unless your job was complete_?"

"Yes, well-

" _ **Were**_ _those your instructions_ , _yes or no_?"

Cassie gritted her teeth, "Yes."

" _Then this conversation is over_ -

"We have a problem," Cassie interrupted, before the line could disconnect, "A big one."

" _Speak_."

"Meadow's body can't handle the injections," Cassie explained, "It's giving out on her. Bloody noses, vomiting, dizziness and last night, she lost control of her bladder and wet the bed. It was _disgusting_!" she was sure, the scent of urine had permeated her clothing.

" _But they're working_?"

Cassie blinked, her eyes becoming narrowed slits. Sure, Meadow's powers were getting stronger, but did that matter if her body was getting weaker?

"We can't exactly get use out of her or her powers if she's dead, now can we?"

At the cold and callous laugh that rang out, she pulled the phone from her ear.

" _Oh_ , _my_ _dear_ , _dear_ , _Raven_."

Glancing into the cracked mirror, the hazel eyes morphed into yellow scleras and black irises that swallowed the pupil, making them look nonexistent.

"Am I wrong?" she asked curtly, "My dear, dear, Erik?"

Despite the syrupy sweetness in her voice, Mystique was still glaring at her pale reflection. She did not need Magneto to answer this question. She knew she was right. She always was.

"I have been eating _fish_ and _chicken_ out of _bowls_ on the _floor_ ," she snapped, punctuating each word, "Playing this stupid part for over a month! And for _what_!?"

" _The_. _Bigger_. _Picture_ ," Erik said, " _We get Meadow and we get_ _ **everything**_. _Mutants standing above humans_ , _no longer suffering mankind's persecution_ … _you could get your son back_."

Raven's pale mouth fell open, a cry lodged in her throat. The room spun and she gripped the sink with a suddenly clammy hand.

If Magneto was aware of her state, he didn't care. He never did, the sociopath.

" _If things need to be moved along_ , _then let's move them along_ ," he demanded, " _Two weeks or less_. _In the meantime_ , _up the injections_ , _keep her heart beating_."

Mystique blanched. Her sweaty grip tightening on the sink. She didn't care for Meadow—she cared for only two of the X-Losers—she understood the need for this, but they were cutting it close.

"Meadow Swan will _not_ make it two weeks," Mystique warned him, "If I up the injections, she'll be lucky to make it _one_!"

" _Then_ , _Meadow Swan will be here in less than one week_ ," Magneto said, oddly calm, " _Mesmero is doing his job and I_ , _mine_. _Explain to me_ , _dear_ , _why you cannot do yours_!?"

She flinched, "I-

Magneto snarled, interrupting her, " _I need Meadow Swan_ _ **here**_. _My dear_ , _this is not meant to be a sacrifice for the greater good_ , _but if that is what it comes to_ , _so be it_. _We need her at her strongest_ , _so that if she survives she is able to see the bigger picture_. _I can do for her what Xavier refuses_ ," the next words were whispers, " _I can take her_ _ **memories**_. _That's all she's ever wanted since she was eleven_."

Mystique had nothing to say to that. What could she say? It didn't matter, Magneto would do what he wanted and she would help him.

The X-Men were nothing but puppets for Charles Xavier and now, both her Kurt and her Rogue were two of them.

Rogue was one she couldn't afford to lose. She had thought, that her adoptive daughter had the potential for limitless power and perhaps she still did, but Magneto felt otherwise and she knew to listen. After all, he was running this whole operation.

They weren't only doing this for themselves. They were doing it for all mutant-kind. Because they would never be accepted. Only used and abused and apparently, according to Mesmero, Meadow had plenty of experience with that.

She was the key in this particular plan.

"Very well," she finally said, "One week or less."

" _Excellent_."

The line was disconnected and Mystique huffed, snapping her phone shut and shoving it into the pocket of her jeans.

It looked like she had some work to do.

* * *

" _Would you like to hang out_?"

" _Hey_ , _I was thinking maybe we could go catch a movie in Port Angeles_."

" _Alice wants to know if you'd like to go shopping with us_?"

" _Do you want to watch a movie or something_?"

Meadow, who lay curled up on her side, rolled over on her back, not bothering to raise her head to look at the locked bedroom door.

Bella had been standing on the other side for the past six minutes, rehearsing what she wanted to say once she built up the courage to knock and it was driving Meadow nuts.

She wasn't sure if Edward had told Bella about the meeting he and his family had ambushed, but Meadow was well aware that whatever she and Bella did, they wouldn't be alone. They could take a plane all the way to Guadalajara and Edward would be there, lurking somewhere in the shadows like the obsessive freak he was waiting to crawl into Bella's bed at nightfall.

Meadow was in no mood to be the bigger person and get along with Bella. She had a rough night…another one and the proof was sealed tightly in heavy duty garbage bags that were shoved under her bed along with the bloodstained tissues.

She wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep, fainted, spaced out or had another weird beach-like episode. She supposed it didn't matter. Whatever had happened, she had "woken up" to soaking wet sheets.

She had wet the bed.

She hadn't known how to react to that. At first, she had tried to pass it off as the cat or maybe she had been sweating up a storm, but no matter how hard she wished it to be true, it wasn't.

So, at 5:17AM, she had gotten up, stripped off her soaked panties and pajama bottoms and half naked, she tore off all her bedding, wrapped herself in her robe and headed downstairs for a few supplies.

She had pretended not to feel the pity when she passed Bella's room.

Downstairs in the kitchen, she had retrieved two garbage bags, some baking soda, the sponge near the kitchen sink and spent an hour scrubbing out the urine and letting the baking soda sit, until she felt it was safe enough to flip the mattress.

She had shoved her sheets and blankets into one garbage bag, tied it off, placed another one over it and stuffed it under her bed, tossing her soiled pajamas into the bottom of her hamper.

By the time she had cleaned herself up, got rid of the heavy smell and found another blanket to use until she could wash hers, it was almost time to get up.

She didn't feel any better from her bloody nose and vomiting fiasco, but that made no difference. She still needed to go to school. It didn't matter if she detested Forks or everyone in it, she wasn't going to slack on her education. That would come back to haunt her in the future when it was time to apply for colleges and universities.

" _I was thinking_ , _after school_ -

That did it.

Meadow's eye twitched in annoyance and she rolled over, still wrapped in her robe. The sleeves weren't as long as she liked and she would have to be careful about showing her arms. The bruises had yet to start the process of healing.

Standing slightly behind it, she yanked open the door.

"You have an awful habit of talking to yourself," she informed Bella, who's mouth had fallen open, flabbergasted, "And I'm guessing that it's because no one else wants to talk to you. Now, if you could do this," she made a circle with her finger, "Anywhere else. That would be really great!"

3…2…1…

Right on cue, Bella's blush seared through her cheeks and Meadow rolled her eyes. Now, it was time for Bella to bite her lip.

"I just," Bella bit her lip, shifting on her crutches, "I just…wanted to know if-if you wanted to hang out?"

Meadow looked at Bella like she was on drugs, "Why?"

"Well, because you're my sister-

"I'm not."

"And it's really nice to have you home-

"No."

"And it's been such a long time-

"Not long enough."

"And I just really missed yo-

"I didn't miss you."

At Meadow's statement, Bella gasped, then her mouth clamped shut as the two stared at each other.

Meadow shook her head. She really didn't understand how they were sisters. Not just by their vastly different personalities, but physically as well. She and Bella couldn't look anymore different. In height, body shape, eye color, complexion, hair type, down to the very last facial detail. Even Bella's eyebrows were darker than her hair and more straight, while Meadow's were arched and the same color as her hair.

" **Sorry Professor** ," the voice taunted, " **I guess Meadow can't be the bigger person**."

Meadow took a deep breath. Now was not the time to lash out and be an emotional hurricane. How was she supposed to explain herself, if the stuff in the bedroom started exploding or the door splintered into pieces? It had happened before.

Bella's eyes searched Meadow's face, her emotions straining Meadow's powers. Bella was disappointed, hesitant, confused, unhappy and still obsessed.

That was the one emotion that always colored Bella no matter what she was feeling. She was obsessed with Edward, the Cullens and herself.

Meadow took another deep breath, worried she'd explode. When it came to Bella and the Cullens, she knew she had to be mindful when it came to her powers. If they were used to Jasper's manipulation, then they might be able to easily detect hers.

"So, are we done?" she demanded, "Because I need to get ready for school and you're literally blocking the way."

She was so tired, it felt like every muscle was giving into gravity and the energy she was wasting talking to Bella, could have been wasted on something else. Like the shower she was supposed to be taking.

"It's not fair, Meadow," Bella whimpered, "Why do you hate me?"

"Oh my God," Meadow rolled her eyes so hard, they went to the back of her head, "Shut. The. Hell. Up. I don't know _why_ you think-

"Excuse me?" Alice suddenly appeared behind Bella, a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"Yup, go ahead, interrupt, I wasn't talking or anything," Meadow mumbled. She began to drum her fingers against the door.

If Alice was aware of her deep irritation, she didn't show it.

"Well," Alice bounced on her toes, "I hope we're all playing nice."

"Well," Meadow mocked, her voice higher in pitch, "We're not playing nice because we're not three years old and you're not my mommy. So, if you don't mind, you're both in my way and I have school to attend, so, excuse you."

She closed the door in their faces and went to gather her clothes and her toiletries. She had hoped, in the five seconds it took her to do this, Alice and Bella would get the hint and quit loitering outside the door.

She was wrong.

She rudely pushed past the two, slamming the door to the bedroom and did the same when she went into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Pushing the shower curtain back, she turned the dial, old and metallic, releasing thousands of drops that wet her arm before she pulled it back to let it heat up.

Steam soon filled the room and Meadow stripped off her robe. She made a point to wait for the mirror to fog up in order to avoid looking at her full naked reflection, her head still lowered when she stepped into the shower.

She bathed her skin lightly, taking careful notice not to touch the bruises on the inside of her forearms. Even with light touches, it hurt, but she needed to clean herself.

She breathed in the heavy steam, turning to soak her hair. The sensation of the water calmed her somewhat.

She dropped her head again, letting the water beat down on her. It dribbled down her face, but she tried not to close her eyes for fear of what would happen, what she would see if she did.

" **Hmmm** …" she looked up as if someone was right in front of her, " **I see** , **I see** …"

"Stop that!" Meadow hissed quietly, water and spit spraying from her lips.

She felt the panic begin to build in her lower abdomen, then travel up to her throat. Her breathing became more rapid, more shallow and the steam of the shower that had only seconds ago been calming, now suffocated her.

Memories assaulted her and she slapped her hands over her ears, then her eyes, lowering herself to the shower floor.

Salty tears, diluted from the shower, spilled down her cheeks. She could hear the voice in her head, but couldn't understand it. She wanted the voice and the memories that played behind her eyes to slow down so that she could breathe, but they wouldn't.

She felt so sick, like she might blackout and she fell from her knees, to being completely hunched over in a fetal position, her forehead touching the shower floor. She sobbed, the memories sharp and cutting through to her soul that had been broken years ago.

It was torture. She couldn't hide from her memories. She couldn't escape them, fight them or successfully repress them because here they were, front and center. Forcing her to endure this pain until it destroyed her.

" **I can make it stop** ," the voice spoke, louder than she had ever heard it, " **I can make it** _ **all**_ **stop**."

And it did. The memories ceased their assault, leaving blackness behind Meadow's covered eyes.

Immediately, Meadow had to push herself up to vomit. The bile slipped past her, underneath her, to swirl down the drain.

She coughed a few times and collapsed onto the shower floor, trembling so hard, that anyone who happened upon her would think she was having a seizure. It was still dark, despite her uncovering her eyes. Pitch black and that didn't help things.

She cried, praying that she wouldn't be heard over the roar of the shower. She wanted Storm and she wanted Logan. She wanted those she considered to be her mom and dad, to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be fine.

Logan wasn't much for affection, but he would have rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, pretending to be irritated while he stationed himself by her bedside as Storm busied herself with making Meadow tea.

" _MEADOW_!? _MEADOW_!"

There was loud banging that made Meadow want to cover her ears again and she curled more into herself. The darkness hadn't let up, but she could see, somewhat thanks to her training. Her vision was blurred by the water that rained down through her tears.

The slam of the door came, loud, cracking through the house like thunder and before she knew it, the shower curtain was ripped back, a couple of the holes popped from its rings.

Her head snapped up and she hastened to cover herself, her arm going over her breasts and one covering her crotch area.

Except, Charlie wasn't looking at her body and Meadow wasn't looking at him.

She was looking at the glass. A thousand glittering fragments littered the floor like a blanket of jagged snow. No wonder it had been so dark. All the lightbulbs had shattered and so had the mirror, only a few chunks remaining in its frame. Glass had spilled into the sink, the counter, the toilet tank cover and her clothes that she had laid out. There was probably some in her boots.

Her eyes flicked up to Charlie. He was still staring at her, completely horrified. Without the shower curtain acting as a blockade, water was dampening him and soaking the floor, but he didn't seem to mind. It was as if his brain was suffering a massive short circuit and was struggling to compute.

In her state, she struggled to make sense of his emotions. He wasn't suspicious, that was good. He was shocked, mostly.

Her breathing was still coming out fast and choppy and her eyes darted around, restlessly trying to find something to settle as she trembled. She needed to say something or do something, but even if she manipulated Charlie, at some point, it would wear off and she had no idea how she was going to cover any of this up.

"I-I," she stuttered, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Carlisle tilted his head, trying to peer into Meadow's sullen face. She sat on the exam table, looking at her lap, her arms folded tightly around her middle. Her hair was piled up, wet, atop her head and she was wearing a zip up sweatshirt and a pair of leggings.

She had been forcibly brought in, twenty minutes ago by a frantic Charlie. According to him, he had been downstairs about to leave to work, saying goodbye to Edward, Alice and Bella, when he had heard the sound of breaking glass and Meadow screaming. He had found her, curled up in the shower and there had been blood on her palms and bruises on her arms.

Charlie figured that Meadow, in some kind of mental breakdown, smashed everything, accidentally cut herself, then got into the shower to wash it away. As a cop, he had seen a couple of weird things once or twice.

He was sitting in the waiting room after Carlisle convinced him that it was all right to send Bella off to school with Alice and Edward. Knowing how Meadow felt about her family, he even offered to either drive Meadow home or take her to school if she was well enough, but Charlie had politely declined.

Now, Carlisle wasn't a psychologist or a therapist, but the one psychologist they had in this small hospital had spent no more than ten minutes with Meadow before declaring that everything was in tip top shape and cheerfully moving on to another patient.

How she was able to lie through her teeth so quickly and so efficiently, he didn't know, but he had his own questions to ask and hopefully, she would be more open with him.

"Meadow," he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "Charlie tells me he spotted some bruising on your arms Can you tell me about that?"

Her grip on herself, if only slightly, tightened.

He tried again, "Can I take a look at them?"

Silence.

His eyes, already gentle, softened even more. He wanted to reach out and touch her arm in hopes to offer some comfort or reassurance, but she looked like being touched was the last thing she wanted.

"Did-did Charlie do this to you?" he asked softly, "Because if he did, you can tell me. My family and I can help protect you."

"Ha!" she let out a strained chuckle, but still didn't look at him.

Carlisle flicked his eyebrows up. At least she had spoken, "I need a yes or no answer."

"Nooo," Meadow slowly turned to him, "He didn't," she said in a bored tone, "Can I go now?"

Carlisle took note of her appearance. The whites of her eyes were completely bloodshot and her pupils were enlarged. There were awful bags under her eyes that sagged with the exhaustion she was so clearly experiencing. Not only that, but her eyelids were drooping.

"Ptosis," Carlisle murmured to himself, "Honey-

"Meadow," she managed to correct. Rather weakly in Carlilse's opinion.

" _Meadow_ ," he said, "Can you tell me when you last slept?" due to her arms being so tightly bound, he reached out to press two fingers to her neck, freezing when she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she gasped. Her voice wasn't loud, but raw and frightened.

He tried to soothe her, "Okay, I'm sorry. It's all right, Meadow. I know the nurse was in here earlier, but while your here, I need to take some of your vitals myself. Is that all right?"

She eyed him with her signature glare, then leaned toward him, a vein bulging in her neck with how tense she was.

He placed his fingers to her neck and glanced at his wristwatch. Her heart rate was fast and he could hear her heart pounding.

"I'm going to ask you again," he said gently, "When's the last time you slept?"

Ever so slowly, Meadow barely raised her left shoulder. That simple motion looked like it had taken quite a bit of energy and her dull completion, paled even more.

"Okay…" he murmured with a frown, "Has it been more than 24 hours?"

"…I guess…"

He went over to a rack on the wall, plucking the thermometer from it. He ran an alcohol wipe over the top and gently dragged the thermometer over Meadow's forehead.

When it beeped, he showed her the number, despite the fact that she had looked away again.

"You have a low-grade fever," he informed her, "Sleep deprivation can cause an impaired immune system. It's been proven, that when you sleep, you have a better fever response."

He waited patiently for an answer he knew he wouldn't get.

"I suggested to you that you needed to take care of yourself and you haven't been. I've seen people admitted to _psychiatric units_ because they deprive themselves of sleep. It causes impulsive and erratic behavior, can lead someone becoming a danger for themselves or others…and I fear that for you. Can you tell me about the mirror and the light bulbs?"

She snorted loudly, the force of the sound causing her to wince. Her mouth went slack and she looked deep in thought, then she turned her head to face him, but didn't look at him. Her gaze was focused on the wall.

"I bet you all laugh at me," she stated, voice quivering, "I bet you all laugh—that is, when you're not sending your children to literally stalk me and follow me around. Emmett, Jasper, Alice…Edward is in our house every night, comes in through the window…"

Carlisle's eyes widened. How had they gotten to that and what had been her thought process? She sounded detached and he didn't know if she saw him when he nodded. He needed to tread carefully. He didn't want to set Meadow off or make her upset.

' _Mental impairment_ ,' Carlisle thought. Sleep deprivation was known to negatively affect ones mental abilities, emotional state and there were other psychological risks including paranoia.

"Rest assured, Meadow, we're not laughing at you," he said calmly, "I don't send my children to watch you or do anything of the sort. What they do in there spare time is no business of mine unless they're putting themselves or someone else in danger. We care-

"Care about me," Meadow smirked, "Yeah, right, don't make _me_ laugh," she looked off to the side and her eyes narrowed slightly, "Yeah," she mumbled, "Whatever."

A crease appeared between his eyebrows, "Okay…" he drawled, "That's not something you want to talk about? People caring about you?"

"Right, you're a physician _and_ a therapist, are you? Okay…" she repeated through a scoff. When she shook her head, her bun flopped from side to side, "Both you and the nurse took all of my vitals, can I go now?"

"No, you may not," Carlisle said, "Unless you're father is able to stay with you at all times, I worry about your ability to keep yourself safe."

"I'm safe," she mumbled in a monotone. It wasn't very convincing.

He watched her for a minute. Even sitting up, she was swaying where she sat, looking like she might fall asleep any moment. He had half a mind to admit her.

"I passed my psych eval," she told him, "I'm fine, I'm safe, so why am I here?"

Carlisle reclaimed his seat and pushed himself forward, closer to Meadow.

"I was hoping you could tell me tha-

"And then what!?" at the interruption, Carlisle sighed, "You can go and run your mouth to Bella-

"I am a professional, Miss Swan," he interrupted her, not intending to be so harsh, "I pride myself on my work and the lives I have saved. You are entitled to your rights and your privacy. Nothing you say to me will be repeated to anyone except for your father. _And_ ," he held up a hand when she opened her mouth, "That is only _if_ I suspect you to seriously harm yourself or others. Do I make myself clear?"

She was staring at him oddly, her head tilted to the side. Her exhausted gaze was still sharp and guarded. It took some time, but eventually, she nodded.

"So, no one and I mean _no one_ —unless I'm endangering myself or whatever—will know what I tell you?" she asked, "No one?"

Carlisle hesitated for less than half of a second, "No. No one."

It was a lie, one he had to tell and one he had no control over. There was nothing he could do to keep Edward from reading his mind. Not only for Meadow, but for any of his patients. Edward did his best to block them out, but of course Carisle thought about his job at times and Edward could not turn off his gift.

She blinked, "Okay. Well, I got upset, smashed everything, cut my palms on the glass and got in the shower to get the blood off. The bruises are from skateboarding and of course, I fall. I workout a lot," she shrugged, "That's it."

He mimicked her shrug, "That's it?" she nodded and he nodded too, considering something.

"I'm not telling you anything else," she said firmly, "So…" she trailed off with another shrug.

"My son, Jasper," he told her quietly, "You are aware of his abilities, yes?" he didn't wait for her to confirm this, "He can help you sleep peacefully. Without nightmares or screaming if that's what is happening."

"No, that's all right," she declined this immediately.

"There are many more risks with sleep deprivation. If it continues long enough, you could start having hallucinations—seeing or hearing things that aren't there. You could experience microsleeps. During these episodes, you'll fall asleep for a few seconds or minutes without realizing it. Microsleep is out of your control and can be extremely dangerous. You could fall and break something, fall down the stairs, get into an accident if you drive…"

"I'll sleep," Meadow promised and Carlisle knew it was an empty one, "I'll sleep as soon as I get home. I've just been busy with homework, trying to keep up with school and everything. That's it."

"I can't help you if you're not honest with me."

"Good. I don't want or need your help."

"Very well," Carlisle stood up. There was nothing else he could do. There was no case to admit her to a psychiatric unit because she had passed her evaluation. He couldn't prescribe her any medication because she wouldn't tell him what was wrong or any of her symptoms.

"I want you home both today and tomorrow," he instructed firmly, "And Charlie will be instructed to keep a very close watch on you. I'm going to check-in with you, like I did last time, in a few days and if things have not changed, then I would like to reevaluate."

Meadow understood this, "Okay. That's fine."

They stared each other down and Meadow, she looked—she looked so defeated, like she might burst into tears at any moment. He had seen that disturbed, teary, faraway look before that stood out behind the sleep deprivation.

"If something is happening or has happened to you," he said, "Then I want to help, in any way I can," he pleaded with her, "Please. I care about you, I do. There is nothing, nothing at all, that you'd like to tell me?"

This wouldn't be her last chance. Nonetheless, he still hoped she would take it.

She was looking to the side again, processing what he had said and she sighed. Her face was neutral.

"No," she said curtly, "There is nothing that I would like to tell you."

Carlisle's face fell and he passed a hand through his fair blonde hair.

"Okay," he said, "Then, you're free to get dressed and I will go speak with your father. He'll be taking you home."

He left the room, shutting the door behind himself. As he passed, he instructed a nurse to check-in on Meadow if she took too long and continued on his way.

He hadn't meant to come off so cold and harsh, but he was worried, very worried. If anything, he wished she would have accepted his offer to allow Jasper to help her sleep. He believed, it would have helped a great deal.

Now, he was in no way giving up on the youngest Swan, however, there was only so much he could offer and there was nothing he could do for her, if she wouldn't open up to him and tell him what was going on.

* * *

"Hey!"

Sluggishly, Meadow looked up from her untouched lunch, eyeing a beaming Cassie who was sitting across from her at one of the old picnic tables outside.

There was no school rule against eating outside. After all, the picnic tables were there for a reason. But no person attending Forks High school would eat at them as the old benches were constantly damp from the rainfall.

It was perfect for Meadow. She had thought, that no one would dare come outside, leaving her alone, away from any emotions.

Apparently not.

"Hi?" Meadow replied, arching an eyebrow.

"You weren't at school, yesterday or the day before," Cassie accused, " _Again_!"

"Okay?" Meadow still wasn't understanding, "But I'm here, now. So, did you need something?"

"Well, Jessica wanted to talk to you, but, like, you get on her nerves," Cassie rambled and Meadow, surprised, appreciated the honesty, "So, I said I would do it. Anyway, there's a big meeting today after school. With you on the team, we're at fourteen and eligible to compete. I've heard rumors that our first game is in Port Townsend. Isn't that cool!?"

"Suuuuure," Meadow drawled, "The coolest," she rubbed her head.

"So, you're going, right?"

"What?"

"The meeting!" Cassie exclaimed, hitting the table, "You're going? After school?"

"Oh…" Meadow blinked, "Um, I don't know. I might be busy."

"Ugh!" Cassie scoffed, "Busy with what? We've been waiting all year for this!"

' _And that's my problem_?' Meadow thought bitterly, ' _Maybe the team sucks and that's why no one wants to join_.'

"Well, you turned in your form, didn't you?" Cassie whined, "So, that means you're on the team and you _have_ to go to the meeting!" she bounced happily where she sat.

Meadow wasn't going to waste her time, by sparking up another conversation if she admitted that she hadn't turned in her form.

"Look, unless someone's holding a loaded gu-

"Oh my God, Meadow, you're bleeding! You're nose!"

Cassie's sudden and shrill exclamation, startled Meadow and she gasped, jumping up from her seat.

"Excuse me!" she bolted, clapping a hand over her nose and mouth.

It was a perfect repeat of what had occurred at Charlie's house. She was no where near the bathrooms and not only—when she could no longer hold her breath—did blood splatter onto the ground, but large droplets landed on her mustard yellow shirt, a few smaller ones polka-dotting her jeans.

Sucking in a blood-soaked breath, she coughed and continued her way to the bathroom, praying that no one saw her.

She made it and was relieved to see the space empty. She made a beeline to the sink and cranked it on, reaching over blindly to fumble for paper towels to hold to her nose.

She would never say it out loud, but she was scared. This was her second nosebleed in less than a week after going years without ever having one.

This was not something she had shared during her forced appointment with Carlisle.

It had been both ridiculous and informative. Ridiculous because she had easily manipulated the hospital psychologist into believing that she was a completely and happily stable teenage girl and everything in her oh-so perfect life was wonderfully hunky-dory.

She had convinced Charlie too, the idiot, that she was fine. She hadn't needed her powers. It had been a moment of weakness and anger, she had said. She was missing a friend's birthday and she had been at her "special school" for so long and had still be working on her problems. She was still adjusting and didn't feel as though she was properly equipped to make this transition so suddenly.

Charlie had eaten it up, still so worried about Bella and her recovery, that he would let it slide. All Meadow had to do, was promise not to do anything like this again, clean up the glass, replace the light bulbs (he would replace the mirror) and in exchange, he would talk to Renée for the millionth time about sending Meadow back to her school.

He hadn't stayed with her at home like Carlisle had instructed the Chief of police to do. A phone call every five minutes would suffice as according to the doctor, Meadow would be sleeping all day, tucked safely in her bed…after she cleaned up, of course.

Neither the sleep or the phone calls had happened.

The appointment had been informative because as pure, compassionate and accepting Carlisle Cullen seemed to be, that didn't excuse the fact that he was a complete liar.

He had looked Meadow straight in the face and lied that no one would know of what Meadow chose to discuss with him. His emotions had betrayed him as they betrayed everyone else.

So, in return, Meadow had lied straight to _his_ face, though it's not like she had planned to be honest in the first place. He had almost had her. Key word: _almost_.

She hadn't been in the mood to talk, anyway. She had such a rough morning that day, she wouldn't have minded dying in that moment, curled into herself on the shower floor. Ever since her episode, the voice had been oddly quiet.

She felt oddly alone…er.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. Due to holding her nose, she could only see the top half of her face. That brought her no comfort. She still looked horrible.

Hopeful that her nosebleed had stopped, she pulled the paper towels away and touched her nose, again, satisfied when her fingers came back with no fresh blood.

Not wanting to literally throw her blood away, she wadded the paper towels into clean ones and folded them into her pockets, then washed the blood off her hands and face.

She gave a mournful sigh when she took another look at her reflection. With her outfit, she could get away with forgoing a shirt and walking around in her leather jacket as long as it was zipped up, but she wasn't sure what to do about her jeans.

"Oh my God, I can't put up with this crap," she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Where was the stupid voice when she needed it?

"Meadow?"

"Are you freaking— _ugh_!" she removed her hands from her face and stomped over to the entrance of the bathroom, "WHAT!?"

Jasper stood there, with his stupid face and his stupid muscular arms folded across his stupid sculpted chest.

"I saw you bleeding," he told her, in a way of greeting, "It would be bad business for the school if a student bled out during lunchtime, don't you think?" he smirked at her, but she frowned.

His eyes. The usual golden she was so accustomed to, was now a dark black, his bags, almost as bad as hers.

"What happened to your eyes?" then, she shook her head, waving a hand, "You know what? Never mind. The not-human-but-won't-tell-me-yet-but-soon thing, right?"

A muscle in his jaw twitched and one side of his mouth turned up in a smile, "Right, darlin'."

The expression of his smile disappeared as soon as it had come and so did Meadow's curiosity. She remembered why she had stomped over here in the first place. Because this freak was camping outside the girls restroom!

"Stop stalking me, Jasper!" she snapped at him, "You, Emmett…Alice and Edward are around all the time! It's weird."

"Stalking you?" Jasper's eyebrows flicked up, "We go to the same school, live in the same small town, my brother is dating your si—Bella," he corrected himself when Meadow glared, "And she is very close with my family. So, I don't think we can help seeing each other, but are your expectations that when we see you, none of us make contact with you?"

"I—what?" Jasper always caught her off guard when he did that.

As much as the Cullens irritated her (and they did…a lot), she…she…

She didn't know. It was complicated.

She popped her hip out, scowling, "Nice try. You don't get off that easily," it was a nice save, she thought, "I don't have all of my answers, yet…but soon. Right?"

"Right. Are you okay?"

"Don't change the subject and stop asking me that," she made her eye roll obvious, "It's annoying."

"It wouldn't be so annoying if you just told me the truth."

This only served to infuriate her further. Why the heck did Jasper care so much? Frankly, she could light herself on fire and it would be none of his business. She was not obligated to tell him anything.

"You don't need to get defensive," he told her, "It's none of my business, I am able to acknowledge that. I simply thought it would be nice to have a friend to talk to," he shrugged, his eyes looked faraway, "If I didn't have Peter, who knows what would have become of me."

Meadow had no idea who Peter was and she didn't really care. On the other hand, Jasper was different than his family. Vastly different, even from his twin, Rosalie. He looked like his family in many ways, but he stuck out like a sore thumb.

He didn't sugarcoat anything and was disturbingly upfront with her. She saw the way his siblings hovered over him and only him, sending each other pitied looks when they thought he couldn't notice. They loved him deeply, but they didn't trust him.

' _Oh my God_ , _I feel bad for the guy_ ,' she realized, ' _Ugh and I'm relating to him_ , _I might actually die_.'

"Um," she said loudly, snapping out of her thoughts, "Look, I have all the friends I need. They're just not here," that had sounded pathetic, even to her own ears.

Jasper's head tilted, a sad sort of his amusement lighting up his dark eyes. He was feeling a little sad and Meadow's shoulders slumped under the weight of it. Jasper's emotions, which were usually so much easier to deal with, felt hard and heavy.

"I guess we've talked about this before, huh?" he said, "I don't know why I waste my breath asking. I know you're not okay. I hope that you're aware, there isn't anything that you could do or say that would ever make me judge you."

She stood there clothed in her own blood, considering his offer. She swallowed thickly, her tongue poking at her right cheek.

He was being so genuinely sincere and honest with his claim.

She would have taken him up on it if it wasn't for what had happened not only at his house when he had let his family eavesdrop, but with Carlisle who she really couldn't understand why he would break the doctor/patient confidentiality. His emotions hadn't been devious, but guilty and regretful.

In Meadow's eyes, they were all deceitful, manipulative liars.

"Yeah," she mumbled, "Yeah, I'd like to talk."

Surprise colored Jasper's features, but then his face was a mask again.

"You owe me," she stated suddenly, "After what you pulled back at your house, not only breaking any amount of trust that we had, but remember, your sister tried to _kill me_!" Jasper flinched, "And now, you're offering to talk and I want to _talk_ cowboy, before I talk—if I talk. Understand?"

Jasper looked impressed at the fact that Meadow was taking charge and he scoffed out a laugh, looking away, then looking back at her.

"Yes, ma'am, Ah do."


End file.
